Michael Heffner

After graduation in 1969 from Georgia Tech in Chemical Engineering, Mr. Heffner spent ten years working for Bechtel Corporation in a variety of cost, planning and construction roles in their Petrochemical Division, after which time, he returned to school to earn an MBA from Rice University in 1981.

At that time, he began a twenty-year career with British Petroleum (retiring in 2001), where he held a number of senior management positions, including

• 1996-2001 President BP Algeria. Resident in London and Algiers. Responsible for over $5bn of assets, consisting of a petroleum producing property and two natural gas developments. Retired in September 2001
• 1992-1996 Joint Venture Manager Colombia. Managed partner relationships with Colombian State Oil Company (Ecopetrol) and private partners Total and Triton for $2bn Colombian oil and gas development. Also responsible for Health, Safety and Environment in South America.
• 1989-1991 Commercial Manager Gulf of Mexico. Responsible for long range business plans, capital project evaluation, natural gas marketing
• 1987-1989 Health, Safety, Environment Manager for Western Hemisphere. Led task force to negotiate proposed oilfield regulations with Federal Government.
• 1984-1987 Engineering Manager and Business Manager on $2bn Alaskan oil project.
• 1981-1984 Planning Manager supporting Alaskan oilfield development

In addition to adding proficiency in Spanish and French along the way, Mr. Heffner developed the following areas of specialized expertise:

• Managing business enterprises in developing country environments where skills in diplomacy, sensitivity to cultural nuances and project/organizational management are essential.
• Working with local and national governments (domestic and foreign) to achieve mutually beneficial government/business relationships.
• Managing health, safety, environmental and operational integrity issues in both large and small enterprises.