Management
Francis Gugen, Executive Chairman
Francis is A founder, largest shareholder and Executive Chairman and has over thirty year's oil and gas industry experience. Between 1982 and 2000 he helped grow Amerada Hess in North West Europe, ultimately becoming CEO. He is a member of the CBI’s Economic Affairs Committees. Francis is also a past President of the UK Offshore Operators Association, past chair of the industries representation on the UK Government Oil & Gas Task Force (Pilot) and the chair of the CBI’s Environmental Affairs Committee. Francis is a chartered accountant having worked for Arthur Andersen for eight years until 1982, principally as an oil & gas specialist. Currently he is Chairman of the board of Petroleum Geophysical Services ASA and a Non-Executive Director and member of the audit committee of the Britannia Building Society. Until 2006 he served as Non-Executive Director of North Sea gas fields and pipelines operator CH4 Energy Limited before it was acquired in 2006 by Venture Petroleum Plc for Euro 224 million. Francis is also the non executive chair of Chrysaor Limited, focused on developing North Sea oil and gas fields of Fraudscreen Limited, a new financial services business. Francis devotes such time to the Group as is required to discharge his duties.
Andrew Austin, Chief Executive Officer
Andrew is one of the founders and the Chief Executive Officer and previously he specialised in energy projects in the gas, electricity and renewables sector. Andrew has been an Executive Director since 2004 and now has full time responsibility for day to day operations and business development. Andrew has been involved in ventures as principal and has also raised substantial funds of private and public equity for clients during the course of his career to date. Andrew spent 17 years working in investment banking in the City of London with Merrill Lynch, Nomura, Citibank and Barclays Capital. Latterly he was General Manager of Creditanstalt Investment Bank in London. He also has six years of management and consultancy experience with clean tech companies including Generics Group and Whitfield Solar.
Brent Cheshire, Executive Technical Director
Brent is one of the founders and is the Technical Director. After 14 years at Shell, he joined Amerada Hess in 1991, where he had a range of roles culminating in Senior VP E&P Worldwide Technology and CEO Scandinavia. Brent has significant experience in geology, drilling technology and project management and is managing director of DONG E&P (UK) Limited, under arrangements that allow him to devote appropriate time to IGas. He was responsible for Amerada’s entry into Denmark through identifying the potential of the un-drilled South Arne prospect, managing its acquisition and developing its production. Brent is a petroleum engineer having graduated as a geologist from Durham University. Since leaving Amerada, he has been a senior adviser to the Danish Oil and Natural Gas Company, assisting it with the design and implementation of its growth strategy.
John Bryant, Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
John is Chairman of Gas Turbine Efficiency plc and is a Non-Executive Director of Weatherly plc. These are both quoted on AIM. He is also a board member of the Attiki Gas Company, which supplies natural gas to Athens and the surrounding districts.
John previously served as President of Cinergy Global Resources Corp, responsible for all international business and global renewable power operations of this US-based electricity and gas utility provider. Before joining Cinergy, John was Executive Director Generation with Midlands Electricity plc. He has been involved in developing a number of large gas fired power stations both in the UK and overseas, together with both electricity and gas distribution in Europe and Africa, renewable power in Europe and North America and gas and electricity trading. His prior experience was at British Sugar plc, Drexel Limited, the British Oxygen Company and Unilever plc. Drexel, where he was President, was a global oil and gas equipment manufacturing and servicing company.
John is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Richard Armstrong, Non-Executive Director
Richard is an associate with Fiske plc, the AIM quoted stockbrokers. He is a former equity analyst with extensive experience in reconstructing and raising capital for turnaround situations especially in the quoted microcap sector. He is currently a Director of AIM quoted Bella Media Plc.
John Hamilton, Non-Executive Director
John Hamilton is the Managing Director of Levine Capital Management Advisors Limited, a UK incorporated company and a non-executive director at President Petroleum Corporation Plc. John was previously the Group Finance Director of Imperial Energy Corporation PLC, the Russia-focused oil exploration and production company. Prior to joining Imperial Energy, John held senior positions at ABN AMRO
