CEO & Executive Director, American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
Group Chief Executive Officer, The Oil and Gas Holding Company (nogaholding)
Chief Global Events Officer, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)
Deputy CEO - Projects & Business Development, Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC)
Michelle Boyd joined the Society of Petroleum Engineers in 2011 and was recently promoted to the position of Chief Global Events Officer. Previously she was Director, Middle East, Africa and South Asia Events and led key events such as the International Petroleum Technology Conference and Exhibition (IPTC), the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE), and SPE’s contribution to Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC).
Before SPE, Michelle was head of conferences for Reed Exhibitions in Abu Dhabi and executive director of conferences and training for IIR, now Informa Group. She holds a BA degree from the University of New England and a MA degree in communication management from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Nadia Al-Hajji is Deputy CEO for Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Company, leading PIC’s business development and mega projects sector. She was also a WINNER in the Energy Woman of the Year Award at this year’s Middle East Energy Awards.After spending about 24 years working in Kuwait National Petroleum Company leading technical services departments two of its 3 refineries, as well as leading the process design for Clean Fuels Project and Al-Zour refinery project. Nadia spent over 2 years playing a lead role in the new oil sector company (KIPIC) startup phase, setting the company’s strategic plans and medium term performance and optimisation. As Deputy CEO for KIPIC, she was responsible for the worlds largest LNG import terminal and also lead the world scale petrochemicals plant to build Aromatics and Olefins project in addition to an FCC block, along with integration project with the Al-Zour refinery.
Executive Director, iSAW Professional Women's Organisation
Advisor, External Projects Upstream- Retired, Exxonmobil
Nancy is the co-founder and Executive Director of iSAW, professional organisation for international Smart Advancing Women (iSAW) focused on Learning, Leading and Lifting others.
Prior to iSAW, Nancy spent 27 years in information technology, at Intel and BP. Nancy had an interesting career journey, she stared out as an Illustrator drawing pictures to be used in software, she quickly advanced through multiple levels in the organisation into Senior Level positions running major IT programs and activities. She is an expert in IT Competitive Intelligence Benchmarking.
Nancy has been involved in women empowerment for the last 10 years. Along with the women’s organisations she co-founded, she co-launched the BP IT Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) program and continued as a D&I Champion for many years. She has been a keynote speaker on “Women in the Workplace” in Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Spain, United Kingdom and United States.
Pinar Yilmaz is Advisor Upstream External Projects, Business Development, at ExxonMobil Exploration Company. She is responsible for coordinating upstream geoscience external activities with universities and research centers globally for ExxonMobil business regions, manage interfaces with professional societies and ExxonMobil, and enhance network & relationships with partners. She joined ExxonMobil in 1980, working in different technical assignments in research, production and exploration functions.
She received numerous awards for her work from both the professional societies and organisations. These include American Association of Petroleum Geologists Honorary Membership Award (2010), Distinguished Service from Association of Brazilian Petroleum Geologists (2009), President’s Award, ExxonMobil Exploration Company (2008), and Hamilton College Science Medal (2006).
R&D Portfolio Manager,
KAUST Catalysis Center
Dr. Anissa Bendjeriou-Sedjerari is Industry & Research Center Liaison at KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) and Innovation & Economic Development (I&ED). She was awarded a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Science and Technology of Montpellier (FRANCE) followed by research scientist positions at KCC, CALTECH and Ecole Normale Superieure de Lyon (ENS-Lyon).
Over the last years, she played key roles in several academic and industrial collaborations within KCC, KAUST and with international institutions including EPFL-Lausanne and UC-Davis, CALTECH, USA. Her broad research interests have been published in numerous international journals.
Besides, she is an active member of the MEPEC (Middle East Process Engineering Conference and Exhibition), GDA (Gulf Downstream Association). She is also involved in all women program with Aramco (LEWAS, GROW) and promote female scientists’ not just at KAUST but also in the Middle-East in order to empower Women in Oil and Gas Industry, one of the challenge of the Saudi Vision 2030 program
Mark brings over 40 years of experience in all aspects of the oil and gas industry to nogaholding. Prior to joining the company, Mark served as the Head of Group Chief Executive’s Office working as chief of staff to bp CEO Bob Dudley. Mark stewarded bp’s executive processes and worked directly with the executive team and Board of Directors where he had oversight of investment governance and strategy development.
Previously he has served as a regional president of bp’s North Sea business, in which he transformed the core business to improve profitability by doubling production in a period of five years. Earlier Mark was the Vice President of Operations at bp Azerbaijan, where he was the operational leader for one of bp’s top three global business, accountable for the safe and reliable operation of two mega-fields, that produced one million barrels of oil equivalent daily.
President, World Petroleum Council
Pedro Miras Salamanca is the serving President for the World Petroleum Council, for the cycle which will culminate with the 24th World Petroleum Congress in Calgary, Canada in September 2023.
He has over 30 years of experience in the energy sector and performed within the private and public entities, specifically in REPSOL (institutional, international, refining, strategic planning), National Energy Commission (regulation of oil & biofuels), International Energy Agency SEQ/SOM (security of supply) and CORES (security of supply for oil & gas). In addition to the engagement in the WPC network, he has been President of the Spanish Strategic Petroleum Reserves Corporation (CORES), Chairman of the Standing Group on Emergency Questions (SEQ) and Market (SOM) of the International Energy Agency, Institutional Affairs & Organisations and Chairman’s Office Director (Repsol) and Member of the Steering Committee and the Board of Directors of Enerclub (Club Español de la Energía) among other relevant positions.
Vice President - Non-Operated Assets (MENA & Russia), Mubadala Petroleum
Salma Al Hajeri is the Vice President for Non-Operated Assets for MENA & Russia at Mubadala Petroleum. Salma is responsible for overseeing the performance of the non-operating JVs and directing the portfolio of MP in MENA and Russia regions. She has more than 20 years of experience in the Oil & Gas Industry. Salma joined Mubadala Petroleum in 2012, and prior to that she worked at ADNOC - Onshore as a Reservoir Engineer.
Salma holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from U.A.E University, and MEng in Petroleum Engineering from the Petroleum Institute – UAE, and MBA from Abu Dhabi University. Most recently, Salma has been awarded the “Women of Achievement” from LEWAS 2021 – Bahrain.
Head of Corporate Communications Middle East & Egypt,
BASF
Linda Brown is a Corporate Communications Executive with a passion for leading change and creating strategic intent for organisational purpose and business success. In her current role, Linda is responsible for promoting and protecting the BASF brand in the region and for creating an awareness amongst the variety of stakeholders in the region about BASF’s innovative solutions, sustainability initiatives and other key drivers of the business.
Linda has been with BASF for 11 years. Prior to being appointed into this position on 1 January 2022, Linda was Head of Communications & Advocacy for BASF’s Africa region, and before that, Communications Manager for BASF’s Mobile Emissions Catalyst Division in Europe. In her 30-year career in Corporate Communications, Linda has contributed in a variety of industries, including social development, higher education, research, utilities and the medical sector, all based in South Africa.
Performance Improvement Consultant (ret.), Aramco