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President, CEO and Director
ShaMaran Petroleum Corp

Dr. Adel Chaouch previously headed Marathon Oil Company’s interests in the MENA region. He presided over Marathon Oil Kurdistan, a business that he has been overseeing since 2011, and in that capacity was ShaMaran’s partner in the Atrush block. He was the chairman of the consortium of private owners for the Waha operating company in Libya until early 2018. Dr. Chaouch was instrumental in establishing the mega gas hub in Equatorial Guinea and also directed the opportunity team that successfully re-entered Gabon through operated and non-operated interests in deep water exploration off the Gulf of Guinea. Dr. Chaouch was previously the director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Marathon’s worldwide activities and Sustainable Growth Manager for Marathon Central Africa Operations based in Equatorial Guinea.

Dr. Chaouch has a Ph.D. in Engineering, with a focus on Oil & Gas offshore geo-hazards, and gas hydrates from Texas A&M University and a Master of Engineering with a focus on deepwater structures from Texas A&M University, which he earned simultaneously with his Engineering degree at the E.S.T.P. in Paris, France. He is a board director of the Bilateral Chamber of Commerce, and director of the board of Ophir Energy.

General Manager - Policy, Government and Public Affairs
Chevron Corporation

Mamadou Beye serves as the manager for International Government Affairs at Chevron. Among his key responsibilities, he provides strategic guidance, advice, and counsel to Chevron’s Africa Leadership team in support of new and existing business opportunities across Africa. He directs the implementation of Chevron’s Africa government affairs strategy and serves as a corporate advisor on corporate responsibility issues in Africa.

Mr. Beye joined Chevron in 1997 as a business analyst and worked in various locations in Europe and Africa and on numerous projects including the West Africa Gas Pipeline Project (WAGP) and the Chad-Cameroon Pipeline Project. Mr. Beye is a frequent speaker on African oil and gas and corporate responsibility issues. He served on the boards of directors of the U.S.-Libya Business Association, the Corporate Council on Africa and the Africa-America Institute (AAI), and is the chairman of the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce. Educated in Canada, France, and Mali, he is a graduate of HEC – Montreal and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration (option finance). Born in Mali, Beye is fluent in Bambara, French, English, and Portuguese.

Chief External Affairs Officer
Houston Airport System (HAS)

As Deputy Director of the Houston Airport System, Saba Abashawl leads the External Affairs team in the areas of Global Industry & Government Relations, Corporate Communications and International Business Development. She leads a variety of initiatives towards expanded air service in Houston that offer a greater level of connectivity for millions of Houstonians, fueling economic growth.

Saba also serves as Executive Officer for the Mayor of Houston in foreign affairs and business development initiatives. She organized trade missions to numerous countries in the Americas, Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia, affording Houston businesses significant contacts and joint venture opportunities.

As primary liaison with federal and state elected officials and governmental agencies, Saba is responsible for HAS’ legislative agenda and assuring the highest level of customer service for international passengers that enter the United States through Houston.

Saba earned a Masters degree in International Finance and Business from the University of St. Thomas and holds leadership positions in numerous professional industry organizations.

Vice President, Business Development
Kosmos Energy

Mr. Kessaissia has over 20 years international experience in upstream oil and gas. He joined Kosmos Energy in 2017 and is responsible for business development, commercial activities and mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Kosmos Energy, Mr. Kessaissia was with ExxonMobil Corporation and held positions of increased responsibilities within the company’s Gas & Power and Exploration divisions, based in Houston, Doha and London. During his time in Qatar, Mr. Kessaissia was commercial manager for ExxonMobil’s Qatar affiliate operating major upstream, LNG and downstream assets. More recently, based in London, he led commercial activities for new ventures across Africa.

Mr. Kessaissia was previously an investment banker in Energy Project Finance with Societe Generale, based in New York. He started his upstream career as a drilling engineer for BP and Schlumberger taking him across the world from London to Aberdeen, Houston, Algeria, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.

Mr. Kessaissia holds a Master’s degree in business from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s degree in civil engineering from the Ecole Supérieure des Travaux Publics (E.S.T.P.) in Paris. He is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Principal
The OKPA Co

E E Okpa, is a Nigerian-American Dallas resident since late 1980s. A husband, and father of Ejike III and Adaora - college students. Mr. Okpa is an experienced commercial real estate and economic development practitioner with vast domestic and international projects.

In 2004, consultant/adviser to developer of Third Rail Lofts first residential tower in Dallas downtown in 42 years. Community involvements includes being first foreign born elected board secretary of Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, in 1997, and one of the vice chairs. As Park South YMCA board member, Mr. Okpa raised more than $1m, and he is the recipient of the Samuel G. Winstead award of Metro YMCA board.

An alumni of Leadership Dallas, Legacy Dallas, Dallas Police, and Dallas FBI Citizens Academies. In 1996, accompanied then Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk on his first overseas trip - Dallas Business and Economic Development Mission to South Africa/Zimbabwe. In 2000, to Costa Rica and Washington DC, on behalf of Dallas Ambassadors Forum, to invite Ambassadors to Dallas. Board experiences include Dallas Permits and License Appeals Board, Chair of MLK Center, Census 2000 Complete Count Committee, Dallas Development Fund and Texas Governor Perry’s appointee on PDSBI of Texas Economic Development Bank.

A nominee for Excellence in International Trade by then Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, a Texas/US representative of Sultanate of Oman PAIPED. Former Dallas mayoral candidate; and first native African mayoral candidate of a US major city. Education - UST Port Harcourt, Nigeria 1983, and 2005/06 Harvard GSD executive AMDP in Real Estate, and Real Estate Securitization certificate from European Business School, a joint program with Harvard University. A Next Generation Fellow of The American Assembly, by Columbia University. August 2012, Gov. Perry commissioned Mr. Okpa Admiral in Texas Navy for his service to Texas. Mr. Okpa has a scholarship program at UNT Denton for Real Estate and Journalism.

Regional vice president, Operations, with responsibility for
Marathon Oil’s Conventional and Equatorial Guinea operations

Simon Smith is regional vice president, Operations, with responsibility for Marathon Oil’s Conventional and Equatorial Guinea operations. He was named to this position in June 2021, after having served as the Country Manager and President of Marathon Equatorial Guinea Production Limited, since January 2018. Prior to that, he served as Managing Director of Equatorial Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas operations S.A. since March 2017.

Prior to his work in Equatorial Guinea, Mr. Smith held successive asset management roles since 2007 and managed operations in the United Kingdom, Gulf of Mexico and Iraqi Kurdistan. He has also been involved in a number of Marathon Oil’s major projects in the United Kingdom, Norway and Russia over the course of his career.

Mr. Smith earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Imperial College, London.

Director
MODEC, Houston

Oise Ihonde Started his career at Oceaneering International where he quickly moved up to managerial level. He has since worked for FMC Technologies, SOFEC, and currently is the Director of Sales at MODEC International in Houston, TX where he has been instrumental in acquiring over $6.5 Billion worth of projects in the past 15 years.

A Specialist in African Energy and Oil & Gas Sectors. Mr. Ihonde has traversed the entire continent in the Oil & Gas and Energy sectors, meeting and working with decision makers in both fields. He is a member of the Board of Offshore West Africa, and the Power Generation Africa Board. He is also Co-Chair at the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG).

Mr. Ihonde is the founder of Christian In Action Charity Organization which is involved in African prison ministration and aid to African refugees amongst other projects, and he has been involved in the Medical Bridges program to Africa.