Speakers’ Biographies
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SIR ANDREW WooD
SENIoR ADVISoR, ITE gRoUP PLC
Sir Andrew Wood served as a member of the British diplomatic service in: Moscow 1964-6, 1979-82
and 1995-2000 (the last as Ambassador); Washington DC, 1967-70 and 1989-92 (as Deputy Head of
Mission); and Belgrade, 1975-9 and 1985-89 (as Ambassador).
Since leaving Moscow in early 2000 Sir Andrew has returned regularly to Uzbekistan, as well as to
Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, acting on behalf of a number of Western companies. He
is an Adviser to ITE Group plc, acted as Special Representative for BP from 2003 to 2014, was a Trustee
for the Victor Zorza Hospice Trust from 2000 to 2012 when the Trust concluded its mission, and is the
President of the King’s College (Cambridge) Association. He has been an Associate Fellow of Chatham
House since 2008.
Andrew Wood was born in Gibraltar on 2 January 1940, and has an MA in history from King’s College,
Cambridge (England). He is married to Stephanie (nee Masset). They have three children, and live in
London and Jersey (Channel Islands).
PARVIZ SHAHBAZoV
MINISTER of ENERgY of THE REPUBLIC of AZERBAIJAN
In 1992, he graduated from Azerbaijan State Oil Academy where he majored in Oil & Gas Economics
and Management.
In 1990, he launched his career as a practicing diplomat at the Department of International Economic
Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In 1992-1996, he worked as an attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal
Republic of Germany. In 1996-2001, he held several positions (Assistant Secretary, First Secretary,
Department Head and Deputy Head) at the departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Azerbaijan in Europe, the USA and Canada.
In 2001-2005, he worked as the Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria,
where, later on, he was appointed as the Charge d’affaires.
In 2005, he became the Chairman of The OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC).
In 2005, he was appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of
Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany and worked in this capacity until 2016.
In 2016-2017, he worked as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Later, he was appointed as the Minister of Energy of the
Republic of Azerbaijan on the 12th of October 2017.
He is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English and German.
He is married and has two kids.
MoHAMMAD SANUSI BARKINDo
SECRETARY gENERAL, oPEC (oRgANIZATIoN of THE PETRoLEUM EXPoRTINg
CoUNTRIES)
HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeria began his tenure as Secretary General of the OPEC on
1 August 2016. He has previously been Nigeria’s National Representative, as well as its Governor to
OPEC, and in 2006, he was Acting OPEC Secretary General.
From 2009 to 2010, he was Group Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC). Earlier in his career, he was Special Assistant to former Minister of Petroleum
Resources and OPEC Secretary General, HE Dr Rilwanu Lukman KBE.
Mr. Barkindo has also been leader of Nigeria’s technical delegation to the UN climate change
negotiations since 1991. He served as Chair of the Group of 77 and China at the UNFCCC and he was
elected to serve three terms as Vice President of the Conference of the Parties.