AOW:Energy 2025 Speakers

The Voices Driving Africa’s Energy Transformation

Celebrating the leaders and innovators shaping the future of oil, gas, and energy across the continent.

At AOW:Energy, we take immense pride in welcoming some of the most influential and forward-thinking leaders from across the global energy landscape. The calibre of speakers who have committed to AOW:Energy 2025 is a testament to the event’s position as the premier platform driving upstream development across Africa. These are the visionaries, dealmakers, and technical experts whose insight and leadership are shaping the future of the continent’s oil, gas, and energy sectors.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the industry for its unwavering support over the years and for entrusting AOW:Energy as the gathering where ideas become action and partnerships take shape. To our 2025 speakers, thank you for lending your voices, thank you for sharing your experiences, and thank you for your vision in what promises to be an unforgettable year. We look forward to hosting you in Accra for a week of collaboration, inspiration, and real progress for Africa’s energy future.

H.E. John Dramani Mahama

President
Republic of Ghana

H.M. John Jinapor

Minister for Energy and Green Transition
Republic of Ghana

H.E. Birame Souleye Diop

SVP Business Development, Yinson

H.E. Gwede Mantashe

Minister of Mineral & Petroleum Resources
Republic of South Africa

H.E. Heineken Lokpobiri

Minister of State for Petroleum Resources(Oil)
Nigeria

H.E. Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang

VP
Ghana

H.E. Dr. Ibrahim Farouk

Secretary General
APPO

Hon. Minister Infanda

Minister of Energy
Republic of Guinea Bissau

H.E. Lerato D. Mataboge

Commissioner for Infrastructure & Energy
Africa Union

H.E. Mohammed Ould Khaled

Minister of Energy & Oil
Mauritania

H.E. Dr. Mohieddin Naaiem Mohamed Saied

Minister of Energy & Petroleum
Republic Sudan

H.M. Nani Juwara

Minister of Energy
Republic of Gambia

H.M. Rufin Benam Beltoungou

Minister of Mines & Geology
Central African Republic

H.E. Wamkele Mene

AFTFCA
Africa Union

H.M. Yacouba Zabré Gouba

Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries
Republic of Burkina Faso

Hon. Yonis Ali Guedi

Minister of Energy & Natural Resources
Republic of Djibouti

Abasiemediong Etuk

Associate
KENNA Partners

Ababacar Mbengue

Director of Promotion and Expoloration
Petrosen E&P

Abiodun Bodunrin

MD
WAPCO

Adegbite Falade

CEO & MD
Aradel Holdings

Ademola Adeyemi-Bero

MD & CEO
FIRST E&P

Dr. Ainojie 'Alex' Irune

MD
Oando Energy Resources Nigeria

Aldo Perracini

CFO
Meren

Álvaro Silva

ED
ANP-STP

Amelie Duffournet

Senior Geologist
TotalEnergies

Amadou Woury Diallo

Ministry of Energy
Repúblic of Senegal

Andy Demetriou

Business Adviser, Global Exploration
Woodside Energy

Ane Aubert

Angola CM
Equinor

Arthur Ename

VP Africa
NOV

Ayanda Noah

Group Chair
CEF

Ayman Khattab

President, Middle East & Africa
Baker Hughes

Bambo Ibidapo-Obe

GM Commercial
Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited

Bemigho Okome

EM Nigeria
TotalEnergies

Benoni Ayeh

O&M Superintendent West
WAPCO

Ben Sayers

Partner, GeoPartners Ltd

Ben Laura

COO
Oceaneering

Bimbola Kolawale

VP Head of Commercial- Africa
Rystad Energy

Dr. Bongani Sayadini

CEO
Petroleum Agency South Africa

Brian Progar

SVP & Ghana Asset Manager
Kosmos Energy

Cany Jobe (MSPM, MEng)

Director E&P GNPC
Republic of Gambia

Charles Sangweni

DG
PURA

Chris Brett

President & CEO
Altera

Chris Drage

VP Sales - Eastern Hemisphere
TGS

Chris Coombs

Head Oil & Gas
Nedbank

Custodio Barros

Senior Geophysicist
Republic of Angola

Cynthia Lumor

Deputy MD
Tullow Ghana

Edward Aikins

Senior Manager, Executive Lead in Consulting, Cloud and Engineering
Deloitte

Dave McGurk

ED
OPCO Offshore South West Tano, Ghana Heritage Oil

David Ampoo

CEO
Ghana Upstream Petroleum Chamber

David Hajovsky

EVP MultiClient
TGS

Dele Kuti

Global Head, Energy & Infra
Standard Bank Group

Dr. Daere Akobo

CEO
PANA Holdings

Duncan Rushworth

Head of BD
Tower Resources

Dr. Ebenezer Ageh

CTO
Aradel Holdings Plc

Edward During

CFO
Lekoil Nigeria

Emeafa Hardcastle

Ag. CEO
Petroleum Commission of Ghana

Emily Watt

VP, Refining and Products Trading, Europe and Africa
bp Trading & Shipping (T&S)

Erling Frantzen

SVP, EAME
Viridien

Fatima Hussain

MD, Oil & Gas Corporate Finance
Standard Chartered Bank

Dr Faye Gerard

Energy Transition and Americas Director
IOGP

Felicia Djibo

Partner, Consulting
Deloitte

Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe

Executive Secratary
Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board

Florian Pelletier

Senior Geoscientist, TotalEnergies Exploration
TotalEnergies

Frederick Hesse-Tetteh

CEO
Harelquin International

Fredy Seho

Manager Commercial & BD
WAPCO

Gavin Thompson

VC Europe, Middle East & Africa
Wood Mackenzie

Engr. Gbenga Komolafe

CEO
NUPRC

George Toriola

CSO
First E&P

Gideon Ayi-Owoo

Partner Tax and Legal
Deloitte West Africa

Giovanni Aquilina

ED
Azule

Gianluca Ciricugno

Africa Enterprise Growth Market Director
Baker Hughes

Godfrey Moagi

CEO
South Africa National Petroleum Company

Hatem Salem

Executive, On-Demand Solutions
Baker Hughes

Helder Lombo

Head of Negotiations
Republic Of Angola

Helio Cumbi

Director, Africa & Financial Institutions
ExxonMobil

Henning Fotland

MD Operations
Côte d'Ivoire Altera

Hilde Nafstad

Acting SVP for Africa & Country Manager Tanzania
Equinor

Hywel Upshall

GM Exploration
Murphy Oil

Ibitola Ukabam

AVP, Investments
AFC

Ifeanyi Nwagbogu

Director, Sales and Commercial, Production Systems
SLB

Inussa Balde

ES
AGC

Issifou Yari

CEO
SOBEH, Republic of Benin

lyke Nnoaham

BOM
Shell Bonga

James Makinde

GM Gas Business
Seplat Energy

Jean-Médard Madama

MD
Tullow Ghana

Jean-Marc Kloss

MD, West Africa
SLB

Jeremy Asher

Chairman & CEO
Tower Resources

Joe Mensah

SVP, Head of Ghana Business Unit
Kosmos Energy

Johnbosco Uche

President
Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE)

Josephine Udonsak

Partner
Dentons ACAS-Law

Joshua May

BDM, Africa Mediterranean & Middle East
TGS

Josef Marton

MD
Preng & Associates

Judith Adjobah Blay

CEO
Ghana Gas

Julia Gridasova

CM Ghana
SLB

Justin Jackson

Crude and Products Origination VP
ExxonMobil

Kadijah Amoah

CEO
Pecan Energies Ghana Limited

Karyna Rodriguez

VP Global New Ventures
Searcher

Kevin Dadzie

Regional Manager & Head of Country
bp, Ghana

Khalid Amrouch

Director Investments Promotion & Assets Management
ONHYM

Kike Fajemirokun

Head, Corporate Services & ESG
Lekoil Nigeria Limited

Kialunga Martins

Head of Negotiations Department,
Republic of Angola

Kikelomo Afolabi

Front-End Development Manager
Aradel Holdings

Dr. Kofi Amoa-Abban

CEO
Rigworld Solutions

Kofo Olagunju

GM, Security, Govt & External Relations
Oando Energy Resources Nigeria

Kwame Ntow-Amoah

Ag. CEO
GNPC

Kwaku Boateng

Head of Local Content
Petroleum Commission Ghana

Lanciné Condé

DG
SONAP

Larry Velasco

Africa Exploration Data New Ventures Manager
SLB

Leparan Gideon ole Morintat

CEO & MD
National Oil Corporation of Kenya

Luke Woodard

MD
Mercuria Energy Trading SA

Maggy Shino

Petroleum Commissioner
Republic of Namibia

Mario Bello

Head of Sub Saharian Africa Region
Eni

Mark W. Llamas

Co-Founder & MD
Lab Energy Advisors

Mahesh Swaminhatan

Executive Committe Member, SVP, Subsea & Floating Facilities
McDermott

Mansur Mohammed

Head of West Africa Upstream Content, Sub-Saharan Africa Oil & Gas
Wood Mackenzie

Marcela Alonso Garzon

New Ventures Manager
SLB

Marilyn T. Logan

DG
Liberian Petroleum Regulatory Authority
Republic of Liberia

Martin Oswald

Senior Gas Specialist
World Bank

Massaer Cissé

VP
bp, Senegal

Matthieu Milandri

Head of Upstream Finance
Trafigura

Michelle Burkett

MD
WAPCO

Mike Adams

TD
Genel Energy

Milton Zibane

VP Exploration
INP Mozambqiue

Mohamed Limam

VP
bp, Mauritania

Mohamed Lemine Mohamed Bowba

Technical Advisor to the DG
SMH

Muhammad Asim Subhani

Director
Prime Global Energies Limited

Muhammed Jawara

Deputy MD
Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)

Naa Opoku-Agyeman

MD
Yinson Production (Ghana)

Nahed Kahloul

VP, Offshore Atlantic East
SLB

Nina Bowyer

Partner
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Nikhil Bhandari

Director of Project Finance
DFC, United States Government

Obo Idornigie

SVP - Global Upstream Research
Welligence

Oise lhonde

Director of Business Development
MODEC Production Services Ghana JV

Okechukwu Mba

Director New Energy
Seplat Energy

Olajumoke Cecilia Ajayi

CEO & MD
Ingentia Energies

Olawale Noiki

West Africa Enterprise Technology & Performance Leader
Deloitte

Dr. Oliver Quinn

CCO
Meren

Olumide Esan

Leader for ER&l in West Africa
Deloitte

Olumide O Ogunfowora

Partner
Argentil Capital Partners

Pal Gunnar Heistad

SVP BD
Yinson

Papa Ba

DGCSO, Ministry of Energy
Republic of Senegal

Dr. Paul Bellingham

Chief Geologist
BGP Offshore

Paul Erdley-Taylor

Gas Sector Lead
Standard Bank Group

Paul McCafferty

GM Exploration
Heritage Oil

Paul Morton

Partner
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Peter Hooper

CCO
Shearwater

Peter Wood

CEA
Shell

Phillip Torres

Director of the Sovereign Decarbonization & Biodiversity Programs
Emia

Pierre Raillard

Head of Gas Business & Morocco Country Director
Chariot Limited

Pranav Joshi

VP
Rystad Energy

Rashid Ali Abdallah

ED
African Energy Commission, AFREC

Raymond Omietimi

General Manager (GM) Geosciences
Oando Energy Resources Nigeria Limited

Renaud Brimont

Head of EMEARC consulting
Wood Mackenzie

Rexford Addi-Kissiedu

Senior Manager Resources Sector
FNB Ghana Limited

Richard Barke

Director of Exploration, South Atlantic
ExxonMobil

Rob Holden

VP AMME - Multi-Client BD
TGS

Roger Brown

President & CEO
Seplat Energy

Dr. Roger Tucker

President & CEO
Meren

Ross Compton

Director of Global Policy
EnergeoAlliance

Rotimi Adefarasin

Deputy GM, BD (Midstream and Downstream Market Development)
First E&P

Sam Olotu

CTO
Lekoil Nigeria Limited

Sandisiwe Ncemane

GM Market & Business Analysis
CEF

Sesakho Magadla

Legacy Entities: Interim CEO
CEF

Seun Ejodame

Partner, Audit & Assurance
Deloitte West Africa

Shahin Amini

Head of IR and Communications
Meren

Sharika Iddrisu

Commercial operations Manager
Tullow

Sibonelo Nkosi

Partner
Giantfuse capital

Simon Cheesley

Director of Sub-Saharan Africa
Viridien

Simon Telfer

SVP Software, Processing and Imaging
Shearwater

Steve Husbands

Head of Commercial, Oil & Gas Advisory
Infinite Energy Advisory

Stig Bøtker

Director of Business Development
Altera

Sumeet Singh

Chief Executive
Powergas

Sue Reuther

MEA Energy Sector Lead
SLR

Dr. Susanne Rentsch-Smith

Head of Geoscience
Shearwater

Talla Gueye

Director General
Petrosen

Taiwo Okwor

VP investment
AFC

Theophilus Ahwireng

MD
MODEC Production Services Ghana JV Ltd.

Dr. Tshepo Mokoka

Group Interim CEO
CEF

Valerie Marcel

ED
New Producers Group

Verity Agar

VP Geoscience
TGS

Victoria Sibeya

Ag. MD
NAMCOR Republic of Namibia

Wale Tinubu

GCE
Oando Plc

Xavier Dezamy

Head of Strategic Accounts & Growth
Deloitte

Yann P. A. Livulibutt Yangari

Founder - Partner
Flamboyans Services

Zubin Bamji

Manager, Energy and Extractives Global Department
World Bank