08.30 – 08.50 Keynote Address 13: Azizollah Ramezani, Deputy Minister and Managing Director, NATIONAL IRANIAN GAS COMPANY

Azizollah Ramezani was born in 1955 in Naragh, Iran.  He graduated from the Petroleum University of Technology (PUT), Iran and received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering.  He then obtained his MBA from the University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia. He has been working in gas-related industries since 1979. He is currently deputy oil minister and Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) and Vice Chairman of the company. He has been in this position since late 2008.

Experience:  Ramezani has worked in the gas industry for the last 30 years in a variety of roles.  He was appointed Deputy Director of the Gas Distribution Department and following that he began to serve as the Director of the Gas Distribution Department.  He also played a leading role during his incumbency, starting in 2001, as the Corporate Planning Director in the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC).

Honours:  The Iranian Petroleum Minister conferred a commendation letter on him for proving to be an exemplary manager in 2001.

08.50 – 09.10 Keynote Address 14: Marcel P. Kramer, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO, GASUNIE

Marcel Kramer was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Gasunie on 1 July 2005. On that day, Gasunie became a natural gas transport, infrastructure and services company. Mr Kramer joined Gasunie in 2003 as Managing Director of the Technology & Assets Division.

From 1992 to 2003, Mr Kramer held various positions with Statoil. He was posted to Norway (General Manager, Supply and Shipping Division), to Bangkok (Managing Director, Statoil Thailand), to Singapore (President, Asia Pacific) and most recently to Caracas (President, Statoil Venezuela). Throughout his time with Statoil, he was involved with oil and gas in the up-, mid- and downstream business segments.

From 1988 to 1992, Mr Kramer worked with Petro-Canada (Calgary) as Director, Crude Oil Supply and Trading. From 1979 to 1988, he served in oil and gas-related positions at NATO, Brussels (1979-1982) and as Head of the Oil Industry Division of the International Energy Agency in Paris (1982-1988). From 1976 to 1979, Mr Kramer held a Staff position with the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands. Mr Kramer holds a degree in Private and Corporate Law. He was appointed Fellow of the Institute of Petroleum in London in 1987 and is professionally active in various organisations such as the International Organisation of Energy Economists (IAEE), the Royal Dutch Gas Association (KVGN) and the Energy Delta Institute (EDI) in the Netherlands (an educational institute supported by Gasunie, Gazprom and the University of Groningen).

In November 2007, Mr Kramer was elected President of Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), the European association of companies operating and/or owning pipeline networks, LNG terminals and gas storage facilities (www.gie.eu.com).