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.

Academician of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and Turkic World Research International Academy of Sciences, foreign member of the National Academy of Sciences of Georgia and the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Honorary Academician of the International Engineers Academy of Russia, Honorary Professor of the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University, Doctor of Geological-Mineralogical Sciences, Professor Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh Baghi oglu was born on January 14th 1930 in Pirshaghi settlement of Baku. After secondary school in 1947, he graduated from the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute (now Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University) with degree in Geology and Exploration of Petroleum Reservoirs in 1952. He started his career in the Baku branch of USSR Oil Ministry’s “State Special Oil Project” Department, then in the “Azerdenizneft” (Azerbaijan Offshore Oil) Production Union and “Azneft” Onshore Oil Production Union, in 1954 he was appointed as a Senior Geologist at the first field of “Gurgan Oil” Oil Fields Department (now “Oil Rocks”). In 1970-1992 he worked as a Deputy Director/Senior Geologist at the “Khazardenizneft” (Caspian Offshore Oil) Production Union, “Khazardenizneftgaz” (Caspian Offshore Oil and Gas) Industrial Union and “Khazardenizneftgaz” (Caspian Offshore Oil and Gas) Production Union, in 1992-1994 as a first vice-president of the “Azerineft” State Concern and advisor to the President of SOCAR, in 1994-2004 as a Vice President of SOCAR for Geology, Geophysics and Reservoir Development. From 2004 he is the First Vice President of SOCAR.

In 1960 he defended Candidate’s Dissertation, in 1987 he defended Doctoral Dissertation in Moscow, in 2005 was awarded academic title of Professor, in 2007 was elected academician of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

Kh.Yusifzadeh is an author of more than 200 scientific works, including 18 monographs and 8 inventions.

For his contribution in the development of petroleum sector, Kh. Yusifzadeh was twice awarded the “Red Banner of Labor” (1963 and 1976), “Badge of Honor” (1971), has orders of “Istiglal” (2000), “Shohrat” (2004), “Sharaf” (2010) and “Order Labor of I degree” (2017) of independent Azerbaijan, order of “Friendship” (2011) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Honorary Diploma of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic (2015) and has other valuable medals. He was twice rewarded the State Premium of Azerbaijan (1982 and 1991), he is “Honorary Engineer of Azerbaijan SSR” (1964) and “Honorary Engineer of Azerbaijan” (2005), “USSR Petroleum Industry’s Outstanding Oil Worker” (1967), “Honorary Oiler of the USSR” (1970), “Honorary Explorer of Underground Resources” (1965 and 1985), “First Field Discoverer” (1988). He was awarded International Gold Star Medal of Turkic World Research International Academy of Sciences and was announced as “Scientist of the Year” (2008) and “Honorary Scientist of Turkic World” (2011), “Order with crown” of the European Academy of Natural Sciences (2014), Medal and Honorary title of the “Knight of Art and Science” of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, ”Silver medal named after Academician Azad Mirzajanzade” (2015) of the same Academy, including other medals and honored certificates. In 2010, with a group of specialists of SOCAR was awarded UNESCO medal for his contribution in the field of development and application of nanotechnology in oil production, his name was included in the encyclopedia of this international organization.

In 2016 a special scholarship named after Academician Khoshbakht Yusifzadeh was established for excellent students of geology and exploration department of the Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University

Alasdair has over 20 years experience in the O&G industry fulfilling a variety of subsea engineering and project execution positions with a background in offshore construction.   Experienced in Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for subsea development projects he is primarily involved with technical delivery of integrated EPCI projects through life cycle from early concept to execution.

Alasdair holds a degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from the University of Glasgow and is based at the company’s Westhill Campus near Aberdeen, Scotland.

Babayev Mukhtar Bahadur oglu was born on October 16, 1967 in Baku. Graduated Moscow State University.

In 1991 started to work at the State Economy and Planning Committe of the Republic of Azerbaijan, then at the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In 1993 joined SOCAR. In 2007-2010 worked on position of Vice-president of SOCAR.

Started from october 2010 - Chairman of Supervisory Board of “Azerikimya”  SOCAR

Started from November 2010- Member of Parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Member of the Party “New Azerbaijan”

Married, has two children.

Rafiga Huseynzade was born in Baku. She successfully entered to the Geological faculty of Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry, where she studied Oil and Gas Fields Exploration subject. After graduation successfully passed examination and continued post graduation in the same Institute.

After seven years of challenging study of the “Low Kuryani” oil and gas field geo-chemical specs and characteristic’s subject Rafiga Huseynzada completed and honorably proved the subject in 1981 and deserved Government Commission endorsement in 1982.

From 1978 to 1985 she was an engineer in Azerbaijan Institute of Oil and Chemistry. In 1985 -1999 years she held various positions such as scientist, senior scientist and lab supervisor in the department of Isotopes Researches of Azerbaijan State University.

From 1999 to March 2011 she worked as Director of AzLab LLC established by State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic.

She continued also her scientific works from 2001 until present in Azerbaijan State University. Rafiga Huseynzada is author of about 60 reports and researches. She also participated in number International conferences and worked in joint scientific centers in Texaco Company in Houston; Geolab in Trondheim and Statoil Research Center in Norway;  Bone & Robertson management course in London UK, etc.  

In March 2011 Rafiga Huseynzade was appointed by order of President of Azerbaijan Republic to position of   Vice President on Ecology of SOCAR.

She is married and has one daughter.

She speaks Russian, English and Turkish languages.

Ambassador (ret.) Matthew Bryza completed a 23-year career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer in 2012, culminating as Ambassador to Azerbaijan. 

Earlier, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (2005-2009) and Director on the National Security Council Staff at the White House (2001-2005) for U.S. relations with Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus, as well as Eurasian energy security.

During 1998 to 2001, Ambassador Bryza was the Deputy Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Caspian Basin Energy Security. 

He also served in the U.S. Missions to Russia (1995-1997) and Poland (1989-1991).

Bryza is a frequent commentator on media outlets that include CNN International, Al Jazeera, BBC, Fox News, Financial Times, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg, as well as numerous outlets in Turkey, Poland, and the South Caucasus.

He is the recipient of Estonia’s Cross of Terra Mariana and Georgia’s Order of St. George.

Bryza currently resides in Istanbul, Turkey, where he heads the regional office of Ballard Partners, a major US public affairs firm.  He also serves on the Board of Turcas, a publicly traded company in fuel distribution and power generation in Turkey.  Concurrently, he is CEO of Lamor Turkey, a Turkish-Finnish joint venture in environmental solutions.  He also serves on the Board of Nobel Upstream, an oil exploration and production company based in London, and is the founder and CEO of Eurasian Business Diplomacy, a strategic consultancy. 

Additionally, Bryza is a Board Member of the Jamestown Foundation.  He was Director of the International Center for Defense and Security in Tallinn, Estonia, during 2012-2015, where he founded the Center’s energy and cyber security programs. 

Ambassador Bryza received his bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University (with honors) and his master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Graduated from the Hacettepe University, as a Mechanical Engineer. Started his carrier as Project Control Engineer on construction for a short time.

Then worked as Operations Engineer, Lead Engineer, and Plant Manager at Turkish LPG company Ipragaz A.S. owned by SHV Holding between 2000 to 2007.

After the privatization of the Turkish Petroleum Refineries Corporation (TUPRAS), transferred to TUPRAS as HSE Superintendent and Responsible of HSE Operational Excellence program of the companies four refineries between 2007 to 2010.

Worked as the HSE manager of the Residuum Upgrader Project of TUPRAS at Izmit refinery after the success of Op -Ex program between 2010 to 2012

After that Joined to Shell, as HSE Brownfield, Commissioning and Operations Lead on Shell Iraq Petroleum Development B.V.(SIPD) Majnoon Oilfield between 2012 to 2015, until the safe operation and handover of the project.

Returning to Turkey worked as HSE consultant to several Turkish companies, then worked as an HSSE Manager of the Namakhvani Cascading Dam project of Clean Energy Group Georgia, between 2015 to 2019.

Then worked as consultant to World Bank Funded Tuz Golu Underground Gas Storage Expansion Plant Project of BOTAS (Turkish Oil Pipelines Corporation)  for a short time before joining to SOCAR Downstream Management HSE & Process Safety Director at 2020.

He is married and has a daughter.

Elshad Mustafa Nassirov was born in 1960 in Baku. In 1982 he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He worked from 1981 to 1982 at the USSR’s embassy in Afghanistan, from 1982 to 1985 at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the USSR Academy of Sciences, and between 1985 and 1989 in various roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. From 1989 to 1992 he worked at the USSR’s embassy in India. As Azerbaijan gained its independence, from 1992 to 1995 Mr Nassirov worked in the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN, and in 1995 was promoted to the position of head of department in the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. From 1997 to 2003, Mr Nassirov worked as head of the Foreign Economic Operations Department, and from 2003 to 2005 as head of the Marketing and Operations Department of SOCAR. By Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on 28 December 2005, he was appointed as vice-president of SOCAR for investments and marketing. Since 2003 Elshad Nassirov has also been the Vice President of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan. In 2010, he was made a member of the Shohrat (Glory) Order by Decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. He speaks Russian, English, Persian and Hindi.

Mr Nassirov is a member of the New Azerbaijan Party.

Full name:                     James Lyall Sharp

Married to:                     Sara el-Gammal Sharp

Children:                        Two sons

Work experience:

Aug, 2019                       Baku, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan

2018 – 2019                    FCO, Full-time Language training (Azerbaijani)

2017 – 2018                    FCO, Policy Advisor, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Directorate

2015 – 2017                    FCO, Migration Policy Adviser, Europe Directorate

2013 – 2015                   FCO, Director, Migration, Migration Directorate

2012 – 2013                    FCO, Gulf and Middle East adviser, Arms Export Policy Department

2008 – 2012                    UK Border Agency, Asia Pacific Regional Director, Hong Kong

2006 – 2008                    FCO, Head, Western Mediterranean, Justice and Home Affairs, and Germany Group

2002 – 2005                    Almaty, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Non-Resident Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan

2001 – 2002                    Full time Russian language training

2000 – 2001                    FCO, Deputy Head, Security Policy Department

1998 – 2000                    FCO, Section Head, North East Asia and Pacific Department

1996 – 1998                    Vienna, UK Delegation to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, with responsibility for Former Yugoslavia and former Soviet Union

1995 – 1996                    FCO, Section Head, Hong Kong Department

1992 – 1995                    FCO, Section Head, Eastern Department

1989 – 1992                    Cairo, External Relations and Press and Public affairs officer, British Embassy

1988 – 1989                    Full time Arabic language training

1987 – 1988                    FCO, Desk Officer for Chile, South America Department

1983 – 1987                    BAE Systems, Military Aircraft Division, Lancashire and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Education

Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet

Durham University (St Cuthbert's Society) BA in Modern Middle Eastern Studies

James Sharp serves as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan since August 2019. James worked in various positions throughout his career. He was the FCO Policy Advisor on Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Migration Policy Advisor at European Directorate, Asia Pacific Regional Director of UK Border Agency. James served as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan and Non-Resident Ambassador in Kyrgyzstan in 2002-2005.

Sarah Michael was appointed Country Manager for Azerbaijan in July 2020.

Sarah has over 20 years of experience in sustainable development, with a focus on social inclusion, community-driven development, peace and tolerance building, social service delivery, livelihoods, health, and youth development. She has led innovative work on social inclusion and on peacebuilding with a focus on the Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the Africa regions, and has previously served as a World Bank Program Leader in the South Caucasus, supporting the Bank’s engagement and dialogue with authorities around Sustainable Development and Infrastructure.

Before joining the World Bank, Sarah worked on the international Commission on Human Security and on a variety of development and security initiatives at the Global Equity Initiative, a research and policy institute at Harvard University. Her first book, Undermining Development: The Absence of Power among Local NGOs in Africa, was published in 2004.

Sarah holds MPhil and PhD degrees from Cambridge University, UK and a Bachelor’s degree from Queens University in Canada.

Ivana, a Slovak Republic national, joined the IFC in June 2021 after more than 20 years of experience in international finance in various positions at the EBRD (in London and Baku) and in Citigroup (London). During her career Ivana has been focusing in particular on the areas of private infrastructure development and financing as well as across the sectors country management. Prior to development finance she worked in investment banking with expertise in project finance and emerging markets. Ivana started her career in the Office of the Prime Minister of Slovakia.

In the current role, Ivana is focusing on further enhancing IFC business delivery in Caucasus with special emphasis on sustainable growth and climate change, digitalization and capital markets development, as well as developing the IFC Upstream activities in the region.

Ivana holds an MBA degree from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Economics in Slovakia. Ivana has been a CFA Charterholder since 2008. She is fluent in several languages, incl. Spanish, Slovak and Czech, as well as conversational Russian, Portuguese and French.