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Dr. Ganesh C. Thakur
Vice President, Global Advisor RM and Fellow
Chevron Energy Technology Company
Thakur is a world-recognized leader in reservoir engineering & simulation, secondary recovery, reservoir and well productivity improvement, heavy oil, horizontal well technology and EOR. He is also known for the emergence of reservoir management (RM) —in particular waterflooding—as a key interdisciplinary practice. Thakur has an impressive list of publications and teaching engagements conducted around the world. His skills and expertise are called upon widely in the design and operation of RM programs, mentoring technical professionals, and serving as an ambassador of technical capabilities to National Oil Companies and Government Ministries. He is an SPE Distinguished Member and has served as Technical Director – Reservoir for the Board of Directors, and an SPE Distinguished Lecturer. Thakur has authored 50 technical articles, three books, edited two SPE reprint series, and presented over 150 lectures/short courses around the world.
A past chairperson of the SPE Reprint Series, Thakur has served on the SPE Editorial Review and Forum Series committees and as short-course instructor on Integrated Reservoir Management and Waterflood Management. He received SPE’s 2005 Reservoir Description and Dynamics award, 2006 Penn State University’s outstanding alumni achievement award, and 1994 Orange County, California’s outstanding engineer of the year award. Thakur earned a B.S. degree in petroleum engineering from Indian School of Mines and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in petroleum and natural gas engineering plus an M.A. degree in mathematics, all from Pennsylvania State University. In addition, he earned an executive MBA degree from Houston Baptist University. He has served as an adjunct professor at USC, University of Texas (Permian Basin), University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, and serving King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Alain Labastie
Engineering Adviser, EOR Technologies
Total
Alain Labastie is Engineering Adviser, EOR Technologies, for Total and is based in Pau, France. He began his career in 1976 at Elf and has held numerous positions in reservoir engineering, primarily in R&D and technology development. His positions have included R&D Program Manager, Head of R&D Operations, and Head of Advanced Reservoir Techniques. Labastie also served in committees awarding public research funding for the French administration and the European Union.
Labastie served on the SPE Board as Director for the South, Central, and East Europe region and is a former Chairperson of the JPT Editorial Committee. He has been involved in numerous SPE committees, including the Distinguished Lecturers, ATCE, International Petroleum Technology Conference and Exhibition, Europec Technical, and Forum Series committees. Labastie also chaired the SPE France Section. He has also been an SPE representative for the Offshore Technology Conference. He earned an engineering degree from Ecole des Arts et Métiers and a petroleum engineering degree from Institut Français du Pétrole.
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Egbert Immoh
Non-Executive Chairman and co-founder
AFREN PLC
Imomoh is the Non-Executive Chairman and co-founder of Afren plc. His petroleum-industry career began in 1968, when he joined Shell as a petroleum engineer in Nigeria after completing training in The Netherlands. During his career, Imomoh has worked in Nigeria, the UK, and The Netherlands. He rose to the position of Deputy Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, a position he held until his retirement in February 2002. He then worked with Shell International, London, as a Senior Corporate Adviser on Nigeria during 2002-04.
Imomoh has been a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers since 1972 and was a founding member of the local SPE organization in Nigeria. He was Chairman of SPE Nigeria Council during 1988-89, became an SPE Distinguished Member in 1989, and was named an Honorary Member in 2011. Imomoh served as the first Africa Region Director on the SPE Board of Directors during 2000-03, chairing the Board Committee on Membership, Education, and Professional Activities in 2002-03. He has been chairman of the SPE Nigeria Council Board of Trustees since 2007. Imomoh holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Birmingham, England.
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Kenneth E. Arnold
Consultant
Kenneth E. Arnold has over forty years of industry experience with 16 years at Shell Oil Company. He founded Paragon Engineering Services in 1980 which was purchased by AMEC in 2005. Ken retired from AMEC in 2007 and is currently an independent consultant providing project management, facilities engineering and engineering management consulting to the oil and gas industry. Ken was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2005.
Arnold is currently Vice President of Finance of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and has served as the first Director of Projects, Facilities and Construction of the Board of SPE. Ken is also a member of the Marine Board of the National Research Council which advises US Government agencies, and is a member of the Board of The Academy of Medicine Engineering and Science of Texas which was set up by Texas Nobel Laureates to promote science and engineering in Texas.
Ken is co-author of two textbooks and over 50 technical articles on project management and facilities design. He has twice been chosen as an SPE distinguished lecturer and was named 2003 Houston Engineer of the Year by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. Arnold has taught facilities engineering at the University of Houston and is a recipient of the SPE Public Service Award, the SPE DeGolyer Medal and the SPE Production Engineering Award.
He has received an American Petroleum Institute citation for his work in promoting offshore safety and was recognized by the Offshore Energy Center in 2009 for his pioneering work in helping to develop API RP 14C. Ken is a registered professional engineer and serves on the advisory board of the engineering schools of both Tulane University and Cornell University, a member of the Board of the Center for Marine Compressed Natural Gas, and a Trustee of Southwest Research Institute. He is on the Advisory Board of the Houston Community College Center for Energy Engineering and Science.
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Mark A. Rubin
Mark Rubin was appointed executive director of SPE in August 2001. Prior to
this appointment, he served as upstream general manager
for the American Petroleum Institute (API) in Washington, D.C. Rubin joined API
in 1988 and held a series of positions working on
federal regulatory and legislative matters as well as technical standards
development.
A member of SPE since 1979, Rubin held petroleum engineering positions for
Unocal in Houston and East Texas from 1981 to 1987 and
for Buttes Resources in Dallas in 1987–88. Rubin is a member of the American
Society of Association Executives and the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives. He has been a member of the
National Petroleum Council, the Interstate Oil and Gas
Compact Commission and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers.
Rubin earned a BS degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA degree from Southern Methodist
University.
At SPE, Rubin is responsible for staff operations in the Society's six offices in Dallas, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Moscow, and London.
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Georgeann Bilich
Georgeann Bilich is Director of Communications and Senior Staff Director. Her responsibilities include print and electronic publications (including the multi-society library OnePetro), peer review; marketing; public relations, communications (including energy education); communities; retail sales; web content; and publishing services. As Senior Staff Director, she is additionally responsible for the management of activities in the SPE Canada Office.
Bilich joined SPE in 1974 as conference-proceedings assistant. She subsequently held several editorial positions, including Technical Publications Manager and Editor of the Journal of Petroleum Technology. She also has been responsible for conference programs/meetings management, including the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition.
Bilich holds a BA degree in journalism from the U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She is a member of the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives and the American Society of Association Executives.
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Stephen Graham
As SPE Managing Director, Americas, Graham is responsible for conferences, exhibitions, forums, and workshops in North and South America. He also is the Associate Executive Manager for the Offshore Technology Conference.
Before joining SPE, Graham was Division Controller for Mentor Graphics, a software company. Before that, he worked for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) for 19 years. He held several financial positions including assignments in Shekou, People’s Republic of China; Plano, Dallas and Houston, Texas; and Bakersfield, California. He worked for the International Division for nine years traveling to many worldwide E&P operating locations.
Graham has an MBA from California State University and a BBA in Accounting from Texas A&M University. Graham is also a Certified Public Accountant.
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Cordella Wong-Gillett
Cordella Wong-Gillett has served as the Managing Director, Asia Pacific, based in SPE's office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, since January 1995. Wong-Gillett began her career at SPE’s Dallas office in June 1983.
Wong-Gillett was responsible for the establishment, staffing, and start-up operations of the fourth SPE office and continues to manage regional activities in Asia Pacific. Before being appointed Managing Director, Wong Gillett served as Senior Manager of meetings, with responsibility for planning and managing SPE national, international, and regional meetings and exhibitions. She headed the global expansion of the Society’s Forum Series program and the London office start-up operations.
Before joining SPE, Wong-Gillett held various positions assisting in the organization and communication of exhibitions for Riggs Associates in Hong Kong and China. Wong-Gillett holds an AA degree in sociology from Finch College and a BBA degree in marketing from Pace University, both in New York City.
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Waleed Refaay
Waleed Refaay joined SPE in September 2007 as a Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa and India, based in the Dubai Office
Prior to joining , Refaay worked in the event management industry organizing high-level meetings for marcus evans, one of the leading event management organizations in the world, managing offices in London, Amsterdam, South East Asia , Greater China and South Africa. He moved to the Gulf region to set up an office for another event management organizer specializing in oil and gas events. A civil engineer, he worked on several projects in Egypt.
Refaay holds a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from Alexandria University, is a member of the Dutch association for Civil Engineers.
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Steve Byrne
Steve Byrne is responsible for the global financial reporting and consolidation of SPE; Treasury and Investment services; Facility management; and coordination of the SPE annual audit.
Before joining SPE, Byrne was Controller for ThinkSpark, an Oracle database and consulting firm for 2 ½ years. Prior to ThinkSpark, Steve worked for ARCO for 16 years and held various financial and tax positions in the domestic US operations as well as in the international division of ARCO.
He received his BBA in Accounting and Finance from Texas A&M University in 1983 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1986.
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Niki Bradbury
Niki Bradbury has served as Managing Director, Europe, Russia, Caspian and Sub-Saharan Africa since July 2011. She joined SPE in 2002 as Conference & Exhibition Manager. She has held several positions in the London based Event Team and more recently served as Senior Manager, Operations and then General Manager, Europe.
Before joining SPE, Bradbury worked in event management for the Royal Aeronautical Society, a UK based membership association, serving the Aerospace industry.
She holds a BSC degree in Psychology from the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.
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Jane Boyce
Jane Boyce is responsible for Membership Activities, which include membership development and retention, section and regional programs, and young member programs; Technical and Professional Activities, which include technical sections, technical interest groups, certification, and awards; Customer Service; and the SPE Foundation.
Boyce joined SPE in 1989 as Manager, Member Services. She was also Senior Manager, Member Services. Before joining SPE, she held management positions with the American Institute of Banking in Dallas and the Life Office Management Association in Atlanta.
She has a BBA degree in Management from the University of Oklahoma and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives.
Roberto Chiarotti
Roberto Chiarotti joined SPE in 2011 as the Director of Global Business Development and Sales. He is responsible for driving global revenues for existing and new conferences, workshops and publications. He is also responsible for the identification and realization of growth and alliance opportunities internationally as well as oversight and management of the relationship with key partnerships and sister societies.
After graduating in business management, Chiarotti worked in public affairs for the World Coal Institute before joining The Financial Times Group where he became Global Publishing Director for Financial Times Energy, responsible for the London and Washington publishing units.
Before joining SPE, Chiarotti ran the global commercial functions of Reuters Professional Publishing at Thomson Reuters, which included the management of the global sales and business development team responsible for magazines and websites, conferences and awards and news and data.
