Russell Taylor is a non- executive director and adviser to several international exhibition businesses. He has been involved in the international exhibition industry for more than 20 years, with experience covering businesses in Russia, Central Asia, China, India, Asia, UK and various European markets. Russell started his business life as an accountant, but soon became specialized in the exhibition and conference world. He was CEO of ITE Group plc from 2007 to 2016, since when he has worked on a number of international exhibition projects including Global Sources in Hong Kong, non-executive Chairman of a UK based exhibition business and advising the Board of CEO in Central Asia. Russell lives in London with his wife and three daughters. He continues to work on his portfolio of non-executive and advisory positions, as well as being a busy family man.

In 1992, he graduated from Azerbaijan State Oil Academy where he majored in Oil & Gas Economics and Management.

In 1990, he launched his career as a practicing diplomat at the Department of International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

In 1992-1996, he worked as an attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1996-2001, he held several positions (Assistant Secretary, First Secretary, Department Head and Deputy Head) at the departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Europe, the USA and Canada.

In 2001-2005, he worked as the Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria, where, later on, he was appointed as the Charge d'affaires.

In 2005, he became the Chairman of The OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC).

In 2005, he was appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany and worked in this capacity until 2016.

 In 2016-2017, he worked as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Later, he was appointed as the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the 12^th of October 2017.

He is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English and German.

He is married and has two kids. 

In 1992, he graduated from Azerbaijan State Oil Academy where he majored in Oil & Gas Economics and Management.

In 1990, he launched his career as a practicing diplomat at the Department of International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

In 1992-1996, he worked as an attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1996-2001, he held several positions (Assistant Secretary, First Secretary, Department Head and Deputy Head) at the departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Europe, the USA and Canada.

In 2001-2005, he worked as the Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria, where, later on, he was appointed as the Charge d'affaires.

In 2005, he became the Chairman of The OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC).

In 2005, he was appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany and worked in this capacity until 2016.

 In 2016-2017, he worked as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Later, he was appointed as the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the 12^th of October 2017.

He is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English and German.

He is married and has two kids. 

Laura Lochman started December 13, 2021 as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Diplomacy in the Bureau of Energy Resources. She was previously Director of the Office of Canadian Affairs, and from January-September 2021, served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs for Canada, Haiti, and the Caribbean.

Laura Lochman is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with over 30 years of experience in policy analysis and implementation. She has served in various overseas assignments with the Department of State, including as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy to the Kingdom of Denmark; Economic Counselor in Bogota, Colombia; Consul General in Calgary, Canada; Deputy Economic Counselor and Chief of the Trade and Investment Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow; and Deputy Economic Counselor and Environment, Science and Technology Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. Earlier, she served in Caracas, Venezuela and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

In Washington, Laura previously served in the State Department’s Office of Cuban Affairs, the Bureau of South Asian Affairs, and in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Laura was detailed for one year from the State Department to a non-governmental organization, the Nature Conservancy, as a policy advisor. She also spent two years as the State Department’s Deputy Director of the Office of Central European Affairs.

Laura graduated with a B.A. in International Studies and French from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She also studied at the Université de Montpellier, France. Laura holds a black belt in karate, and her foreign languages include French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian.

Ambassador Matthew Bryza is a member of the Board of Lamor Ab, the world’s leading oil spill response company, and CEO of Lamor Turkey in Istanbul. He is also a non-executive director of Turcas, a diversified energy company and one of Turkey’s largest corporations.   Bryza additionally  serves on the Board of an upstream energy companies in the UK, is a founding partner of a cyber security firm in Turkey, and a member of a high-level investment team developing exports of U.S. liquid natural gas to the Baltic Sea region. Ambassador Bryza is a member of the International Advisory Board of the International Center for Defence and Security in Tallinn, and served as the Center’s Director from 2012- 2015. He is also a Non- Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council and a Board member of the Jamestown Foundation, both of which are think-tanks in Washington, DC.Ambassador Bryza served for 23 years as a U.S. diplomat. His most recent assignment was as Ambassador to Azerbaijan from Februar y 2011 to January 2012.  During 2005 to 2009, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, with responsibility for Eurasian energy security, the South Caucasus, Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus. He simultaneously served as the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE’s Minsk Group mediating  the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan), and as U.S. mediator of the Cyprus Question and the South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts (in Georgia). During 2001 to 2005, Ambassador Bryza served in the White House as Director for European and Eurasian Affairs on the National Security Council Staff, covering the same areas as mentioned above, along with Islamist extremism. Earlier assignments at the State Department included Deputy Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Caspian Energy; Advisor on Economic Reform in the South Caucasus and Central Asia; Russia Desk Officer; and Political Officer at the U.S. Missions to Russia (1995-97) and Poland (1989-91). Matthew Bryza holds a bachelor ’s degree from Stanford
University and a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, both in international relations.

Professor Zorana Z.Mihajlovic PhD was born in 1970 in Tuzla.She graduated in 1993 and received her PhD in energy and economics in 2001 at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade. At the Faculty of Economics she held the position of Research Fellow. She acquired the title of associate professor and vice-rector for scientific issues at the John Naisbitt University in October 2011. She has been a professor at this university since 2016.

She started her professional career in the Belgrade First Economics Vocational School and continued in Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) - Elektroistok (1995-2006). From 2004 to 2006 she was an Energy Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister of the RS Miroljub Labus in the Government of the Republic of Serbia (2004-2005) and a board member to the Public Enterprise EPS. From 2006 to 2010 she worked at the Nikola Tesla airport as an Advisor to the General Director for Energy Efficiency. She was an Energy Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Srpska from 2010 to 2012. From 2012-2014 she was the governor of Serbia in the EBRD.

She authored and co-authored four books in the field of energy and sustainable development. She has published more than two hundred papers on the issues and opportunities of the Serbian energy sector. She has completed a specialist course in modern anti-corruption methodology, for which she holds a certificate from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

She has been the Chair of SNS Energy and mining council since 2009, vice-president of the party since 2012 and a member of SNS Presidential Council since 2016.

She was appointed Minister of Energy, Development and Environmental Protection in 2012, and from 2014 to 2020 she was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure. During her tenure at the Ministry, the construction of Road Corridor 10 was completed, about 330 km of highways were built, more than 550 km of railways were renovated and the airport network was further developed, which today includes three international airports, and the value of all projects in the Ministry's portfolio amounted to 16 billion euros. As a result of the reforms implemented during her tenure as the Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Serbia advanced from 186th to 9th place in the field of issuing construction permits on the World Bank's Doing Business list.

Since October 2020, she has been the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia and the Minister of Mining and Energy. During the mandate of this ministry, the process of green energy transition in energy and mining was initiated and a new legislative framework in this area was adopted, including the first special Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources and the new Law on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy.

She has chaired the Governmental Coordination Body for Gender Equality since its establishment in 2014, and she has been appointed RS Government Envoy for Sexual Violence in Conflict. She is a member of the RS Government Council for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and co-chair of the National Coalition for the End of Child Marriages. She is the head of the Special Working Group of the Government of the RS for drafting the text of the Proposal of the National Strategy for Gender Equality for the period 2021-2023 with the Proposed Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy for Gender Equality for the period 2021-2025. From 2018 to 2020, she was a member of the World Bank's Gender Equality and Development Advisory Board, which reviews progress in the field of gender equality at the global level.

She chairs the Joint Group for the Improvement of Business Conditions and Attraction of New Investments in the Republic of Serbia and is the Deputy Head of the Working Group for the Implementation of the Recommendations from the White Book of Foreign Investors Council.

She is the President of the Steering Committee and working groups for monitoring the implementation of the project and for the development of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan of the Republic of Serbia for the period from 2021 to 2030, with a vision until 2050, within the project "Further development of energy planning capacities", IPA 2017. She is the head of the Council of the Government of the RS for giving proposals and opinions regarding the operation of thermal power plants and replacement capacities from all energy sources until 2050, and the National Coalition for the Reduction of Energy Poverty. She also chairs the working group for monitoring activities on the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Facility Construction Project at the Military Medical Academy.

Since 2015, as the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of the RS Government she has been coordinating the work of state bodies and the non-governmental sector in improving the position of Roma, and between 2017 and 2021 she was appointed Head of the Coordination Body for Monitoring the Implementation of the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma in Serbia (2016-2025). She is the President of the Coordination body for support to monitoring the implementation of projects and investments in the reconstruction and / or construction of clinical health centers.

She was twice elected Reformer of the Year in the selection of the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED). She first received the award in 2014 for comprehensive reforms in the issuance of construction permits, and the second time the Reformer of the Year 2016 award was given to her for comparative reforms in this area.

She is the winner of the international award Person of the Year and Best Minister for 2018 which is awarded to the most successful personalities in the region.

She is a member of the Management Board of the Development Fund. She is the founder of the NGO Women's Government, a member of the European Movement in Serbia and the East West Bridge organization, and one of the founders of the Congress of Serbian-American Friendship. She set up the initiative to Let's employ a thousand women in rural areas which is implemented by the Coordination Body for Gender Equality in cooperation with the Ethno-Network and NALED. At the end of 2019, she was elected a member of the Council of Employers of the Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade.

In August 2021, she was elected president of the Assembly of the National Petroleum Committee of Serbia, which is part of the World Petroleum Union.

She is a mother to one son.

She speaks English.

Dr. Virgil-Daniel Popescu was appointed Romanian Minister of Energy on December 2020. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Popescu served as Minister of Economy, Energy and Business Environment. He had been serving also as Vice-president of the Commission of Industry and Services, at the Chamber of Deputies, Romanian Parliament. He is also a member of the Romanian Parliament since 2016. Minister Popescu is also involved in academic, scientific and research activities, working as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Craiova University. Mr. Popescu holds a PhD in Management awarded by the Craiova University and a degree in Engineering/Automation from the Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania.

Rovshan Najaf was born on April 9, 1982 in Baku, Azerbaijan. In 1997, he went to the Faculty of International Economic Relations of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics. He graduated with honours from the bachelor's program in 2001 and Master’s program in 2003. In 2007-2008 he successfully completed the Master's program in Economic Policy Management / International Energy Management and Policy at Columbia University, USA within the framework of the SOCAR scholarship program. He started his career in 2001 as a laboratory assistant at the Department of International Economic Relations and Marketing of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics. In 2003-2007, he worked as a consultant and senior adviser in the Investment Policy Unit of the Investment and International Economic Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In 2008-2009, he worked as the Head of the Investment Contracts Unit of the Investment Department of SOCAR. In 2009-2010, he was the Head of the Foreign Economic Relations Department and Assistant Minister of Economic Development at the Ministry of Economic Development. In 2010-2018, he worked as the Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director of “Azerbaijan Investment Company” OJSC. He was appointed as the Head of the Innovative Development and e-Government Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Order issued by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on May 11, 2018, as the Chairman of the Financial Monitoring Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Order issued on August 28, 2019, as the Deputy Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Order issued on February 11, 2020, as the First Deputy Minister of Economy by the Order issued on December 24, 2021. He was appointed as the First Vice President and Acting President of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Order issued by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on February 10, 2022. He holds a PhD in Economics, is the 3rd degree State Counsellor. Married, has two children.

Francesco La Camera is the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). He was appointed at the Ninth Assembly of IRENA, the ultimate decision-making body of the Agency. Mr. La Camera took office on 4 April 2019 and brings more than thirty years of experience in the fields of climate, sustainability, and international cooperation.

In his role, Mr. La Camera is responsible for leading the delivery of IRENA’s work programme and strategy in cooperation with the Agency’s member states. At a critical time for climate change and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, Mr. La Camera is tasked with redefining the structure and operations of the Agency in response to the urgent needs of its members.

Under his leadership the Agency has forged a series of new strategic partnerships with UN organisations including UNDP, UNFCCC and Green Climate Fund among others. A key priority of his tenure is to implement a more action-oriented approach to the Agency’s work.

Previously, Mr. La Camera served as Director-General of Sustainable Development, Environmental Damage, EU and International Affairs at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land & Sea since 2014. In this capacity, he developed cooperation and partnership agreements with a wide range of countries, particularly developing countries including Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Mr. La Camera held number of roles at the Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea. As the national coordinator for climate, environment, resource efficiency and circular economy, he led the Italian delegation to UNFCCC’s COP 21 to 24 and the EU Presidency at COP 20. He was responsible for the preparation and organisation of Italy’s G7 Environment Presidency in 2017. He was a leading member of the Italian delegation to the G7 Environment Ministers meetings in 2016 and 2018.

He served as co-chair of the Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development established in Rome in partnership with FAO and UNDP and co-chaired the Financial Platform for Climate and Sustainable Development in partnership with the Italian Development Bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. He has also coordinated a number of national strategies including on sustainable development, green finance and fossil fuel subsides among other things.

Mr. La Camera led the support provided by Italy to several renewable energy initiatives such as the Initiative for Renewable Island Energy (IRIE) and the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA), coordinated by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Mr. La Camera spearheaded international cooperation on issues related to climate change and the environment. He played a key role in developing initiatives between Italy and multilateral organisations such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, UNEP, UNDP and FAO, to implement the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.

He chaired the meetings of the Signatories to the Aarhus Convention led by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) and chaired the advisory board for the Convention’s implementation.

Author of many publications, Mr. La Camera was a Lecturer of Sustainable Development at the University of Cosenza and of Environment & Land Economics at the University of Roma 3. He began his career as an economic analyst at the Italian Ministry of Budget and Planning.

Mr. La Camera is a national of Italy, and graduate of the University of Messina in Political Sciences (Economic Policy major).

Melih Han Bilgin is currently President and CEO of TPAO, Turkish national oil & gas company. Prior to TPAO, Bilgin was CEO of CNK Aerospace.

Mr. Bilgin earned his BS in Aeronautical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).

He is married, with two children and fluent in English.

Abdulla Zayed is the Head for Development & Investment in Central Asia and Russia in the Clean Energy division of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy Company. In this capacity, Mr Zayed oversees the development and investment of renewable energy projects from initiation and inauguration to commercial operation within the geography he is overlooking. He plays a leading role in directing and defining Masdar’s strategy and focus markets through effective market analysis. He is also responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with shareholders and utilizing strategic partnerships with local and international developers. Mr Zayed currently manages a pipeline of projects more than 10 GW.
Mr Zayed joined Masdar in 2009 as a financial and commercial analyst working in business development and asset management. He also worked as quality engineer during the construction of Shams 1 – a 100 megawatt (MW) concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In 2012, he joined the General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi where he led projects and initiatives that impacted law and legislation of the energy and economic sectors in the emirate. He rejoined Masdar in 2016 as a business development manager and was project manager for different projects in public tenders, mergers & acquisitions and greenfield development before he was assigned as head for development and investment in Asia and East Europe.
Mr Zayed attended the UAE Higher Colleges of Technology, graduating as a mechanical engineer in 2009 and obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Management in 2012.

Tabriz Ammayev was born in Baku on December 28, 1990.

In 2008 he was admitted to the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University (ASOIU).

In 2012, he earned a bachelor's degree (distinction) from ASOIU, Faculty of Economics, and Management, majoring in "Economics and Management of Production and Services (Oil and Gas Industry)".

In 2013, he graduated with distinction from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, with a master’s degree in, Accounting, Finance and Management via SOCAR Foreign Scholarship Program.

In 2010-2014 has been working in SOCAR's Geology and Geophysics Department, Azerigas PU, Gas Export Division, and Labor Norm Conditions Development Department.

Since 2014, has held various positions at SOCAR's Head Office.

In December 2018, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Strategic Development Department of SOCAR Head Office.

In May 2020, he was appointed Head of the Strategic Development Department of the SOCAR Head Office.

In September 2020, by the Order of the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, he was appointed Deputy Director of Azerbaijan Renewable Energy Agency under the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and served as interim director from October 2020 to January 2021.

Paolo Novelli is currently Technical Sales OCTG Energy Transition Director in Tenaris.

Previously Technical Sales Director of casing and tubing products for Europe, Russia and Caspian area and Commercial Responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Graduated in 2005 at Politecnico University of Milan (Italy) in Material Engineering, he joined Tenaris as Product Engineer for Offshore Line Pipe products, spending a period at Tenaris facility in Mexico to lead a team for developing a premium connection for riser application.

In 2011 he was awarded as co-author for the Best Pipeline and Riser Technology Symposium Paper by OMAE Conference. 

Khalik Rafi Mammadov was born in 1958 in Astara. He graduated from the M. Azizbeyov Azerbaijan Oil and Chemistry Institute (currently Azerbaijan State Oil Academy) as an electrical engineer in 1984‏. He started his labour activity in the New Baku Refinery in 1976. Later, he worked as Chairman of the New Baku Refinery Trade Union Committee from 1985-1991; Deputy Chairman of the Soviet of People’s Deputies, Executive Power of Nizami District, Baku City; 1st Deputy Head of Executive Power of Nizami district, Baku City; and Technical Director of Azinteroil Joint Venture under the New Baku Refinery from 1991-1992; Chief Specialist of the Organizational Division of Azerbaijan Trade Unions’ Confederation from 1992-1994; Head of Personnel Division, Deputy Director General, Deputy Director for Work Regime and Personnel at the Azerneftyanajag Production Association (later named Azerneftyanajag Refinery and then the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Processing Factory) from 1994-2005. He took on the position of Head of the Administrative Department of SOCAR from 2005-2007 and he has been working as the Vice-President for Personnel, Regime and Information Technologies of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2007.

He was awarded with the honourable title of “Distinguished Engineer” by Decree of President Ilham Aliyev in 2008.

Mr. Aslanbayli joined bp from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2002 as a Tax Advisor. In his most recent role he was Regional Tax and Customs Manager for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

In addition to professional activities, Mr. Aslanbayli is also a visiting lecturer of the Baku State University, ADA University and Baku Higher Oil School.  He is the author of one book and more than 50 professional articles and commentaries. He holds BA and MA in International Relations from the Baku State University.

Mr. Aslanbayli was awarded with Progress Medal by the President of Azerbaijan (2017) for contribution to the development of oil and gas industry in Azerbaijan.

Elmar Gasimov was born on September 8, 1973. In 1990 he graduated from high school with a silver medal. After graduating from high school, he entered the geography faculty of BSU, graduating in 1995. In 2002, he also graduated from the Law Faculty of BSU. From 1996 to 2000 he was a postgraduate student at the same university. In 2006 he defended his PhD thesis. Since 1996, he worked at BSU as a geography teacher at the Faculty of the same name. In 2007 he received the academic title of associate professor. In the second half of the 1990s, he was chairman of the Committee of the Student Trade Union of BSU. From 1999 to 2011 he worked as Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In 2008, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev awarded Elmar Gasimov the Progress Medal.

By the decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated April 10, 2012, Gasimov was appointed rector of the Baku Higher School of Oil.

Married, has 2 children.

Mustafa Baba Oglu Babanli was born in the family of teachers in Saatli on February 1968, 21. In 1983, he graduated from the physics and Mathematics oriented secondary school No. 1 in Baku, and in the same year he entered the Kiev Polytechnic Institute and began to study in the specialty of metal physics in the Faculty of Engineering Physics. After graduating with honors from the Faculty of Engineering Physics of the National Technical University of Ukraine in 1989, he began his career as an engineer-technologist at the special design bureau “Kristal” experimental plant of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Babanli studied at the Institute of metal physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 1990-1992, and in 1993 he received a candidate's degree of candidate of physical and Mathematical Sciences, early defending his thesis on “phase transformations in extremely quickly cooled TiNiCu alloys” on the specialty “physics of solids”.

Since 1996 he worked at the Department of metallurgy and metallurgical science of Azerbaijan Technical University. Initially, he worked as an assistant, associate professor in 2001-2010, and professor in 2010-2015. In 2010-2015 he worked as vice-rector for international relations at Azerbaijan Technical University.

On February 27, 2008 he defended his doctoral dissertation on technical sciences at Azerbaijan Technical University and received the degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences on the Specialty “Materials Science”. Mustafa Babanli is a member of the dissertation Council d-02.171 under Azerbaijan Technical University, as well as the methodological Coordination Council under the Ministry of Education.

He was appointed rector of Azerbaijan state oil and industry university by the Order of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated September 3, 2015. He is a member of the International Association of university presidents.