Management and Administration
Peter C. Ntephe, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Peter Ntephe was appointed Chief Executive Officer of ERHC Energy in April 2010. He had been the Chief Operating Officer and acting Chief Executive Officer since 2008. Mr. Ntephe has been involved in fundamental aspects of the Company's executive management since 2001, having joined initially as Corporate Secretary. His roles have included key participation in the negotiation, securing and maintenance of the Company's oil and gas interests in the Gulf of Guinea. As Chief Executive Officer, he oversees the executive management of ERHC Energy and its subsidiaries. He is responsible for ensuring that the group's strategic objectives are met. Mr. Ntephe has had a career spanning over 22 years, in the public and private sectors. Mr. Ntephe has a Master of Science degree from the University of Oxford. He also has three degrees in law (including one with a specialization in regulatory issues from the University of London) and a degree in management from Brunel University, London. Mr. Ntephe has taught Business Law as part of adjunct faculty in the Business School of the American Intercontinental University, London. Mr. Ntephe is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) as well as of the Committee on Oil and Gas Law of the International Bar Association.
David Bovell, Vice President Corporate Development
David A. Bovell is the Vice President Corporate Development of ERHC Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries. Mr. Bovell’s expertise is corporate finance for medium cap upstream oil and gas companieswith an emphasis on strategy formulation, mergers and acquisitions, fund raising and stock exchange listings. Prior to joining ERHC in 2008, Mr. Bovell served as managing director of Green Corporate Finance Ltd. and as director of Equity Partners for Emerging Markets where his practice was focused on corporate finance for upstream oil and gas exploration and production companies. He was previously Finance Director for Antonov plc, where he initiated the company’s listing on the Alternative Investments Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. As Vice President Corporate Development of ERHC, he oversees planning and implementation of strategies for corporate growth. Responsibilities include the identification of appropriate E&P acquisition opportunities, the identification of funding options for the acquisitions and overseeing the closing of the resulting transactions. Mr. Bovell will also pursue future corporate finance options, including stock-exchange listings and fund raisings. Mr. Bovell is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Financial Management from the University of Cape Town. Mr. Bovell is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).
Sylvan Odobulu, Vice President (Administration) and Controller
Sylvan Odobulu has served as Controller of ERHC Energy since June 2006. In this capacity, Mr. Odobulu is the Principal Accounting Officer of ERHC. He directs the daily operation of ERHC’s finance function, including treasury, budgeting, auditing, tax, accounting, capital purchasing, investor relations, forecasting and insurance activities. In this capacity, Mr. Odobulu is responsible for regulatory and disclosure issues including preparation of financial statements and other requisite disclosure documents, accounting, payroll, tax and audit matters, including liaison with external auditors, maintenance of financial controls, liaison with various governmental and regulatory agencies, as well as procurement and logistics. Mr. Odobulu provides counsel to ERHC’s President & CEO relating to financial and tax considerations and develops long-range strategies to establish and maintain the Company’s financial self-sufficiency, establishes ERHC’s accounting systems and procedures to ensure they are up-to-date and in compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and provides advice and review for compliance with appropriate statutory and regulatory requirements. Additionally, Mr. Odobulu prepares and issues quarterly and annual audited financial statements and reports. Prior to joining ERHC and since 1999, Mr. Odobulu was employed by Ernst and Young LLP, serving in various capacities, most recently as an Accounting Supervisor. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Texas, majoring in Accounting. Mr. Odobulu is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).
Dr. Ken Seymour, Technical Consultant
D
r. Ken Seymour is a highly experienced petroleum engineer who has worked in E&P for over 30 years. He has extensive experience in Africa, particularly in Angola and Nigeria. His key competencies include E& P deal creation and asset acquisition, portfolio management, joint venture and asset management, drilling, development and production management and well engineering. Dr. Seymour previously worked with E.ON, Shell, BP, ExxonMobil and CNR International, among other companies. He earned a First Class Honours Degree in Mining Engineering and a PhD in Rock Mechanics at University of Leeds. He also earned an MBA at Aberdeen/Robert Gordon’s University. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and the Petroleum Institute. He has authored many technical papers and presentations on African E& P including, “The True Value of Marginal Field Developments,” “Signpost to the Deepwater ~ A Technology Road Map,” and “Scenarios for Deep Water Intervention and Completions,” and “Nigerian Gas – The Entry Challenge.”
Michael Shafie, Technical Consultant
Michael Shafie is a Technical Consultant and Senior Geoscientist for ERHC Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries. Mr. Shafie has 29 years of experience in exploration and development of oil and gas fields throughout the shelf and deep water provinces of West Africa, the U.S., Malasia, Vietnam, Egypt, Venezuela and Black Sea. He worked for major, independent and national exploration and production companies such as El Paso, Unocal, Petronas, PDVZA, OXY USA and Vanco Energy, contributing to discovery of significant volumes of oil and gas reserves. Mr. Shafie is experienced in evaluation and acquisition of oil and gas producing properties and expert in offshore lease sales projects. A member of Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Geophysical Society of Houston and Southwest Louisiana Geophysical Society, Mr. Shafie earned Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from Florida State University.
Peter Kinyua Thuo, PhD., Technical Consultant
Dr. Thuo is a highly qualified exploration geologist and geochemist. His 26 years with the National Oil Corporation of Kenya (NOCK) provides invaluable knowledge and experience for ERHC Energy, particularly on the exploration potential of basins in East and Central Africa. Prior to early retirement from the NOCK in 2011, Dr. Thuo served as Exploration Team Leader, leading the Exploration and Production department. In addition to sitting on the National Fossil Fuels Advisory Committee, which negotiates terms of the Production Sharing Contracts, Dr. Thuo had extensive experience working as a senior geologist and geochemist in the NOCK. Dr. Thuo earned his Postgraduate Diploma in Exploration Geology from the University of London, Masters of Science Degree in Geology from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and a PhD from the Université de Bretagne Occidentale in France. He has authored many technical papers and presentations on African E&P, especially on the petroleum prospectivity of the Mesozoic and Tertiary Rift Basins of Kenya.
Daniel Gralla, Technical Consultant
Daniel S. Gralla is a Technical Consultant for ERHC Energy Inc. and its subsidiaries. Mr. Gralla consults from time to time on technical matters of the Company and its subsidiaries. Mr. Gralla has 25 years of technical experience as a petroleum engineer working for both major and independent oil and gas exploration and production companies. He has worldwide experience having lived and worked in North America, Europe and Africa. He has extensive off-shore experience that will provide value to ERHC’s activities related to the Nigeria-São Tomé and Príncipe Joint Development Zone and the São Tomé and Príncipe Exclusive Economic Zone. Mr. Gralla has a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines.
Legal Counsel
Reginald Sewell, J.D., MBA
Reginald Sewell, J.D., MBA, is an attorney with Warner & Associates PLLC and serves as ERHC Energy's Corporate Counsel. With more than a decade of experience in legal and business matters, Mr. Sewell's practice areas include business organization and governance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, private placements, joint ventures and private equity within the energy space. His primary responsibilities throughout his previous roles included structured finance and joint venture organization and acquisitions. Mr. Sewell has lived, worked and studied in Sao Paulo, Brasil and Bangalore, India. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Morehouse College, a Master's of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law. Mr. Sewell is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) as well as of the Committee on Oil and Gas Law of the International Bar Association.
