Mehmet Öğütçü

Chairman, Bosphorus Energy Club,

An internationally recognized authority on energy, investment, finance and geopolitics over the past 35 years, Mehmet Öğütçü has built significant knowledge and experience on policy and business matters, with a particular geographic focus on Europe, Central Asia, Russia, the Middle East and China.

Mehmet (54) has more than 30 years of successful track-record in energy business, investment, development, diplomacy, and international organisations.

Currently, Mr. Öğütçü chairs Global Resources Partnership, UK, sits on the boards of Genel Energy plc, Sisecam Group plc and Saudi Crown Holding, serves as Special Envoy of the Energy Charter for MENA region, and as Executive Chair of the Bosphorus Energy Club, an exclusive gathering of the senior executives and leaders in finance, energy and politics across Turkey, Eurasia, the Middle East and Africa.

An effective convener and doer, he provides strategic advice to large international groups on access to fund-raising, investment, business growth in emerging market economies, M&A deals, commodity trading and risk mitigation.

In his early career, Mr. Öğütçü worked as deputy inspector on the board of Is Bankasi, Turkey’s largest private bank, and undertook projects as a NATO Research Fellow and one of the EU’s Jean Monnet fellows. He was a prominent diplomat, having worked on critical “economic and energy diplomacy” dossiers in Ankara, Beijing, Brussels and Paris, and later as an advisor to the late Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Ozal.

Following diplomatic assignments in Ankara, Beijing, Brussels and Paris, Mr. Öğütçü served for 12 years as a senior staffer at the International Energy Agency and OECD in Paris, managing energy security and international investment programs. Until 2011, he was director of BG Group’s international government affairs in London, managing high-level government engagements and new business development around the world. He also worked as a board member of Yasar Holding Group, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Invensys.

Mr. Öğütçü is a graduate of Turkey’s School of Political Sciences, London School of Economics (MSc) and College d’Europe (MA), Bruges. He is an occasional lecturer at London School of Economics’ Enterprise Executive Programme, Harvard University, Dundee University, University of Reading and Peking University’s School of Government since 2005. He writes and lectures extensively around the world on energy, investment and geopolitical matters.

Mr. Öğütçü is fluent in Turkish, English, French and Chinese Mandarin (conversational).

Currently based in London, Mehmet serves as chairman of Global Resources Partnership, an independent non-executive director on the boards of Genel Energy, Şişecam Group, Saudi Crown Holding, and a special envoy for The Energy Charter in Brussels for MENA/Eurasia. He also leads the recently created Bosphorus Energy Club, a prestigious exclusive gathering of the top movers and shakers in finance, energy and politics across Turkey, Eurasia, Middle East and Southeast Europe.

Mehmet advises major energy and finance corporations on investment deals, fund-raising, strategic stakeholder alignment and risk mitigation strategies.

In his early career, Mehmet was a Turkish diplomat, having worked on critical “economic and energy diplomacy” dossiers in Ankara, Beijing, Brussels and Paris, and later as an advisor to the late Turkish Prime Minister, Turgut Ozal.

After leaving the Foreign Service in 1994, Mehmet joined as a senior staffer at the International Energy Agency heading Eurasia, Asia-Pacific and Latin America programme, and the OECD (dubbed as “Rich Men’s Club”) in Paris as principal administrator managing international investment outreach over 11 years.

Mehmet was for six years (2005-2011) the global director for British Gas (BG) Group Plc. in the UK, managing high-level government engagements and new business development around the world. He also worked for four years as the chairman of the International Advisory Board of Invensys plc and an independent board member of Yaşar Holding until 2014.

Mehmet is a graduate of Turkey’s Mulkiye, London School of Economics (LSE) and College d’Europe, Bruges. He is an occasional lecturer at LSE’s Enterprise Executive Programme, Harvard University, Dundee University, University of Reading and Peking University’s School of Government since 2005. He often speaks at key international and regional conferences around the world and writes in newspapers. Mehmet is fluent in Turkish, English, French and Chinese Mandarin (conversational).

www.mehmetogutcu.net

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