Dubai, UAE, 11 March 2012 - London Business School Executive MBA students have been tapping into insight and advice from the region's leading oil and gas executives.
The 'Oil and Gas insights in the Middle East' forum attracted industry leaders, recruiters and guest speakers from energy corporations from across the Gulf, including Shell, Manaar, Al Mubasher, Michael Page Oil and Gas, Price Waterhouse Coopers, WTS Energy and Siemens Oil and Gas.
The forum discussed current trends facing the industry and its future outcomes, including the impact of the arrival of the Chinese energy industry into the Middle East and the future for the traditional InterOil Corporation (IOC) model in light of new independent companies.
A recruitment Q&A followed the panel discussion. They discussed the challenges presented to recruiters by active nationalization programmes and the recruitment outlook for the energy industry, given a predicted 30 per cent loss of its skilled workforce due to retirement in the next five years.
Daniela Sfeir, Senior Business Development Manager at London Business School, said:
"London Business School is proud to associate with top companies and recruiters in the region to deliver successful events like the Oil and Gas Insights forum. The event brought together 80 participants, with senior managers in the oil and gas industry and students and alumni working in, or aspiring to work in, the sector.
"The forums provide a great platform to exchange ideas about industry trends whilst also providing the invaluable opportunity for networking between students, alumni and future employers."
The event is the latest of a series organised by London Business School aimed at bringing up-to-the-minute information and expertise on specialist industries to its students.
Bjoern Ewers, Principal at BCG Middle East, and a panellist at the forum, said:
"BCG has a long history of collaborating with London Business School and we are very pleased to once again partner with them for this oil and gas event. The energy requirements of the world remain a key priority for economic policy makers, businesses and governments globally and London Business School's event provided an important platform for industry experts to share insights on this critical topic. We enjoyed the opportunity to share our in-depth, global expertise during this forum and to exchange ideas with our peers."
Current student, Hussain Rizvi, who helped organize the event, added:
"Oil and gas is the most important GDP contributor of countries in the Middle East region and the sector is currently going through a technological transformation with a focus on energy efficiency. Events like this which bring together thought leaders from industry and academia are very beneficial."
In 2012, London Business School marks its fifth anniversary of its Dubai Centre and Executive MBA programme (EMBA). The programme is taught exclusively by London Business School's own faculty at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
The programme gives students, who have a strong, proven ability in business management, a thorough grounding in all key areas of business. EMBA students can also specialise in their chosen fields through the School's diverse elective portfolio.
Panellists participating at the event were Jaafar Altaie, Managing Director at Manaar; Kate Dourian, Editor-in-Chief, Platts Middle East; Bjoern Ewers, Principal of BCG Energy Practice; Keristofer Seryani, Managing Director at Senergy Middle East and Ali Vezvaei, EVP and GM for Siemens Energy Oil and Gas Division. The panel was moderated by Sean Evers, Managing Partner for Gulf Intelligence.
-Ends-
About London Business School
London Business School's vision is to have a profound impact on the way the world does business. The School is consistently ranked among the best in the world for its full-time MBA programme*. In research, the School is ranked top ten and holds the highest average research score of any UK academic institution**.
The School's faculty, from over 30 countries, is grouped into seven subject areas - Accounting; Economics; Finance; Management Science and Operations; Marketing; Organisational Behaviour; and Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Additionally it has four research centres: Aditya Birla India Centre, Centre for Corporate Governance, Coller Institute of Private Equity, and Deloitte Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Studying at the School provides access to an unmatched diversity of thought. With a presence in four international cities - London, New York, Hong Kong and Dubai - the School is well positioned to equip students from more than 100 countries with the capabilities needed to operate in today's business environment. Students further benefit from our 33,500 alumni from more than 130 countries, who provide a wealth of knowledge, business experience and worldwide networking opportunities.
The School awards over 1,000 degrees every year, across MBA, Executive MBA, EMBA-Global, Masters in Finance, Masters in Management, Sloan MSc and PhD programmes. The Executive Education team offers a portfolio of over 25 open programmes as well as custom-designed programmes developed to meet the specific needs of individuals and their organisation. Annually, over 7,000 participants attend executive programmes that are led by many of the world's leading business thinkers.
www.london.edu
Media Contacts:
Christina Gregory
Four Communications
E:londonbusinessschool@fourcommunications.com
T: +971 (0)55 985 3378
*London Business School was ranked number one globally for its MBA programme in 2009, 2010 and 2011
** Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008
© Press Release 2012
