Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top London based Director operating in the Oil and Gas space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Brendan Nelson
Non-Executive Member of the Board of Directors of BP
Brendan Nelson is a chartered accountant. He was made a partner of KPMG in 1984 and served as a member of the UK board of KPMG from 2000 to 2006, subsequently being appointed vice chairman until his retirement in 2010. At KPMG International he held a number of senior positions including global chairman, banking and global chairman, financial services. He served for six years as a member of the Financial Services Practitioner Panel and in 2013 was the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
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About : BP delivers heat, light and mobility products and services to people all around the world.
Ignacio Gimenez
Managing Director Europe and Middle East, BP Ventures of BP
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About BP: BP delivers heat, light and mobility products and services to people all around the world.
Richard Leigh
Managing Director of Focus Assured
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About Focus Assured: Focus Assured is a consulting firm dedicated to creating and delivering genuine value for clients’ businesses.
Martin Mayer
Director of LNG Technology of CB&I
Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, Member of the Management Committee and Treasurer of Gas Processors Association Europe. 30 years experience in the LNG and gas processing industry (onshore and floating) in feasibility, conceptual, detailed design, commissioning, plant testing and revamps. He has worked on projects worldwide in Peru, Egypt, UK, USA, Canada, Russia, Qatar, Australia and Nigeria. As Director of LNG Technology at McDermott is their focal point of expertise and capability for LNG production and receiving facilities, responsible for assuring the validity and technical integrity of the process design content of all deliverables on projects and proposals
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About CB&I: CB&I provide technology and infrastructure for the energy industry, focusing on safety and quality standards.
Ben Watts
Innovation and Solutions Director of Engie
Ben is Innovation & Solutions Director at ENGIE UK & Ireland. In addition to this role, Ben also undertakes non-executive and advisory activities in the field of low-carbon energy technology and networks, providing a key link between industry and academia. Ben is a non-executive Director of Storengy UK and a Director of the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE), where Ben also chairs the ADE’s Strategy Board. Prior to his current role with ENGIE, Ben was Managing Director of ENGIE’s Urban Energy sector. Ben has also previously worked as an Associate with ARUP, providing energy and utility consultancy services. His expertise in low-carbon energy includes decentralised generation in all forms, low carbon heat and cooling, project origination, development and commercialisation.
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About Engie: ENGIE is a global energy player and an expert operator in the three key sectors of electricity, natural gas and energy services.
Robin Pinchbeck
Board of Directors of Enteq Upstream
Robin brings nearly 40 years of experience in the oil and gas upstream and services sector. He spent 23 years with BP, before he moved to the oil services sector where he was the managing director of Atlantic Power & Gas which was sold to Petroleum Geo-Services and subsequently purchased by Petrofac. Robin had a variety of roles over a 10-year period at Petrofac, most recently as group director of strategy and corporate development, before retiring in 2012. He has a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London, and an MSc in Management from Stanford Business School, California. Robin also currently holds non-executive director positions on the boards of IGas and Enteq Upstream.
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About : Enteq Upstream supplies the global oil & gas Directional Drilling market with high-end, differentiated, robust Measurement While Drilling
Gay Evans
Member of the Board of Directors of ConocoPhillips
Huey Evans was formerly vice chairman of the board and non-executive chairman, Europe, of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. from 2011 to 2012. She was former vice chairman, Investment Banking and Investment Management at Barclays Capital from 2008 to 2010. She was previously head of governance of Citi Alternative Investments (EMEA) from 2007 to 2008 and president of Tribeca Global Management (Europe) Ltd. from 2005 to 2007, both part of Citigroup. From 1998 to 2005, she was director of the markets division and head of the capital markets sector at the U.K. Financial Services Authority. She previously held various senior management positions with Bankers Trust Company in New York and London. Huey Evans currently serves as a non-executive director of Aviva plc., Itau BBA International Limited and The Financial Reporting Council and previously served on the boards of The London Stock Exchange Group plc and Falcon Private Wealth Ltd.
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About : ConocoPhillips is an oil and gas exploration and production company in the energy industry that promotes health and environmental safety.
Bala Nagarajan
Investment Director, Equinor Energy Ventures of Equinor
Bala Nagarajan is an Investment Director at Statoil Energy Ventures (SEV), a USD 200MM corporate venture capital fund. SEV was set up in 2016 to identify and invest in startups in the clean energy sector. Bala has led SEV’s investments in distributed generation and energy storage. He joined Statoil’s business development team in 2012 and has originated and executed transactions across the globe. Prior to joining Statoil he was an investment manager/entrepreneur-in-residence for a family office fund investing in clean energy and technology start-ups following on from experiences with Arthur Andersen, Citigroup and Lehman Brothers. Bala is a Chartered Accountant from India and MBA graduate from IESE Business School, Spain.
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About Equinor: Equinor is an energy company that specializes in providing oil, gas, wind energy, and solar power energy.
Margherita Della Valle
Non Executive Director of Centrica
Margherita Della Valle, Chief Financial Officer, was appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Vodafone Group PLC Board on 27 July 2018. Margherita’s previous roles within Vodafone were Deputy Chief Financial Officer from 2015 to 2018, Group Financial Controller, Chief Financial Officer for Vodafone’s European region and Chief Financial Officer for Vodafone Italy. She joined Omnitel Pronto Italia – which later became Vodafone Italy – in 1994 and held various consumer marketing positions in business analytics and customer base management before moving to finance. Margherita is a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Centrica Plc.
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About Centrica, Vodafone: Centrica is a multinational energy and services company developing innovative solutions, offers, and products.
Jorge Pikunic
Managing Director, Centrica Business Solutions of Centrica
Jorge is Managing Director of Centrica’s international Distributed Energy & Power business, established to deliver distributed energy solutions for large energy users as part of a more flexible energy landscape. He joined Centrica in 2010, first heading up the Group’s strategy team before taking over as Managing Director of British Gas’ Smart Metering business, where he lead the roll-out of smart meters to over one million residential customers. Born in Venezuela, Jorge is an engineer and holds a MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering. He was also a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford before joining McKinsey & Company where he advised a number of institutions in energy and other sectors. He has also worked for Procter & Gamble and PDVSA (Venezuelan national oil company), and was a Board Director of Smart Energy GB.
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About Centrica: Centrica is a multinational energy and services company developing innovative solutions, offers, and products.
Ben Carlisle
Founder & Director of Bow Resources
Ben has been working with small to large oil and gas operators for more than six years. An expert in the industry, he largely specialises across Africa and has signed commercial terms with clients to assist in the delivery of major international projects.
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About Bow Resources: Bow Resources is a manpower solutions provider focussed on the energy market; specialising in renewables,oil and gas.
Richard Douglas
Board Of Director of Atmos Energy Marketing
Executive vice president for Jones Lang LaSalle LLC in Dallas, Texas since July 2008. Mr. Douglas has been a director of Atmos Energy since 2007. Mr. Douglas has gained leadership experience with Jones Lang LaSalle LLC, a global real estate management, and investment firm and developed business and strategic planning expertise while at The Staubach Company, a nationally renowned real estate brokerage and services firm with international partnerships. Mr. Douglas also possesses outside board experience on numerous civic and nonprofit boards such as the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
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About : Atmos Energy Marketing is a full-service natural gas marketing company providing supply and asset management services.
Roy Franklin
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cuadrilla
Roy Franklin is the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors at Statoil since June 2015. Roy was a Member of the Board of Directors at StatoilHydro from October 2007 and Statoil from November 2009 until June 2013. Roy has previously been the chair of both the board’s safety, sustainability and ethics committee and the board’s audit committee. Roy was also previously a Member of the Board of Directors at StatoilHydro from October 2007 and Statoil from November 2009 until June 2013. Roy is also a Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at Keller Group plc, a London-based international engineering company and Cuadrilla Resources Holdings Limited, a privately held UK company focusing on unconventional energy sources. Roy is also a Member of the Board of Directors at the Australian oil and gas company Santos Ltd., the private equity firm Kerogen Capital Ltd. and the London-based international engineering company Amec Foster Wheeler. A geologist by training, Roy has over 40 years experience in the oil and gas industry. Roy spent 18 years in various exploration and management positions with BP, before leaving to join Clyde Petroleum plc, where he became Group Managing Director in 1994. Roy subsequently became Chief Executive Officer at Paladin Resources plc, a position he held until the company’s sale to Talisman in 2006. Roy earned his Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Southampton, UK. In 2004, Roy was awarded an Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the oil and gas industry. Roy is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Cuardrilla since April 2015, having joined the board of Cuadrilla Resources in 2012.
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About : Cuadrilla is owned exploration and production company.
Ishaan Hemnani
Founder and Director of BunkerEx
Ishaan Hemnani is the founder and director of BunkerEx. He earned his degree at Imperial College London.
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About BunkerEx: A new world for Marine Fuel.
Blair Barlow
Director of Lime Rock Partners
Blair Barlow joined the Lime Rock Partners team’s Westport office in 2008 and is now a Director in the London office. Prior to joining Lime Rock, Blair worked at Signalta Resources in Calgary as both an Acquisitions and Divestitures Analyst and a Junior Production and Operations Engineer. He is a graduate of Harvard University (A.B.). Since joining the Lime Rock Partners team, Blair has played a critical role in investigating and executing oilfield service and E&P investment opportunities in North America and internationally. He currently serves on the board of directors of Ardyne, Imaginea Energy, and Transform Exploration. He has been particularly involved in Lime Rock Partners’ investments in Black Shire Energy, Chinook, EnerMech, Revelation Energy, Senscient, Tiway Oil, and UTEC International.
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About Lime Rock Partners: Lime Rock Partners is a private equity investment partner that focuses on the oil and gas sectors.
Giles Farrer
Research Director of Wood MacKenzie
Giles directs Wood Mackenzie’s LNG research, maintaining relationships with clients across the world. Having led the development of Woodmac’s LNG Corporate research, Giles now manages Wood Mackenzie’s LNG Service and Tool products, drawing on his ten years of experience in gas & LNG. His particular expertise lies in LNG supply valuation, LNG contracting and pricing, LNG costs, FLNG, competitor benchmarking and market analysis. Prior to joining the LNG team in 2008, Giles worked in Wood Mackenzie’s upstream group covering the Middle East and South Asia. Giles holds a BA in History & Politics from the University of Exeter.
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About Wood MacKenzie: Wood Mackenzie is a research and consultancy business for the energy, chemicals, metals, and mining industries.
Elizabeth McGrath
Managing Director of Natural Resource Governance Institute
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About Natural Resource Governance Institute: NRGI is an independent and non-profit group that works to ensure that countries rich in oil, gas, and minerals achieve sustainability.
Oliver Morgan
Founder & Managing Director of Universal Fuels
Oliver Morgan is a Founder & Managing Director at Universal Fuels.
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About Universal Fuels: Universal Fuels supplies heating oil, gas oil, marine gas oil, kerosene, DERV, diesel, and red diesel in the U.K.
Oliver Morgan
Founder & Managing Director of Universal Fuels
Oliver Morgan is a Founder & Managing Director at Universal Fuels.
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About Universal Fuels: Universal Fuels supplies heating oil, gas oil, marine gas oil, kerosene, DERV, diesel, and red diesel in the U.K.
