Board

Bill Schrader

Non-Executive Chairman

Bill Schrader has over 30 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, having served as Chief Executive Officer of several country operations at BP plc, as the President of the Azerbaijan International Operating Company and as Chief Operating Officer of TNK-BP.  Characterised as a strong leader by his peers, Bill has an extensive industry network and proven ability to manage complex operating environments and liaise with governments around the world.

James Smith

Non-Executive Deputy Chairman

A former Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and member of the Bahamas’ Senate, James Smith is widely acknowledged as a leading expert on monetary policy and is a respected member of the greater Bahamas community.  He has served as the Country’s ambassador for Trade in the Office of the Prime Minister, as the Governor of the Central Bank of The Bahamas for a decade, as well as Chairman of the Bahamas Maritime Authority, The Paradise Island Bridge Company and The Bahamas Development Bank.  He has also held a number of board positions at both private and public companies including the Bahamas Stock Exchange.

Simon Potter

Chief Executive Officer

Simon Potter qualified as a geologist with an M.Sc. in Management Science, has over 30 years oil and gas industry and mining sector experience. From the Zambian Copperbelt to a 20-year career with BP he has held executive roles in companies managing oil and gas exploration, development and production; gas processing, sales and transport; LNG manufacture, marketing and contracting in Europe, Russia, America, Africa and Australasia. On leaving BP, having helped create TNK-BP, he took up the role of CEO at Hardman Resources where he oversaw growth of the AIM and ASX listed Company into an oil producer and considerable exploration success ahead of executing a corporate sale to Tullow Oil. After running his own consultancy he joined Arrow Energy International as CEO and following the sale of Arrow Energy to Shell and PetroChina launched their international assets onto the ASX as the separately listed Dart Energy.

Adrian Collins

Non-Executive Director

Adrian Collins has worked in the fund management business for over 35 years, a large part of which was at Gartmore Investment Management plc where, latterly, he was managing director.  He is chairman of Liontrust Asset Management plc and is also on the boards of a number of other companies.

Ross McDonald

Non-Executive Director

Leo Koot

Non-Executive Director

Leo Koot has over 28 years of industry experience, during which time has run oil and energy businesses and has been an active board member, most recently with AIM-listed Sterling Energy PLC as Senior Independent Non-Executive Director. Leo’s global energy experience includes his role as Managing Partner of MENA Gulf Investment Partners (Abu Dhabi), President of Abu Dhabi National Energy Company’s TAQA Iraq and Managing Director of TAQA UK where he built the organization to an organization of over 2,000 staff and contractors and delivered a mature E&P operating company that managed 60,000 bopd production with US$1.7 billion in annual revenues. Prior to TAQA, Leo was CEO of Energy Development Partners, an oil and gas business creating ways to match capital and resources with developing production, for which he helped raise a US$350 million private equity fund. Leo has a Masters in Petroleum Engineering and a business degree from Harvard Business School.