BP announced today the appointment of Rashid Javanshir as Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Integration, based in London. Rashid has led BP’s regional business in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey since September 2009.
Gordon Birrell will succeed Rashid as BP’s Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey (AGT), with effect from November 15, 2012. Gordon is currently Head of Safety and Operational Risk for BP’s Production Division, responsible for driving improvements in BP’s operating quality across the company’s global Production Division.
Bob Fryar, BP’s Executive Vice President, Production says: “We are bringing Rashid to London to a position which will allow us to utilize his extensive experience beyond the AGT region and in support of the wider BP. We would like to thank Rashid for his leadership and extraordinary commitment to BP’s success in Azerbaijan and the region.
“It is our firm intention to continue our success in the region through even closer cooperation with SOCAR, the government and our partners. To achieve this, we will continue to focus on safety, maximization of production and intensification of performance.
“Gordon, as an experienced leader and as someone previously involved in our exploration projects in Azerbaijan, will continue our successful partnership here through joint development and implementation of our long-term business plansç, in particular, the plan for long-term stabilization of ACG production which is being developed with partners and the Government of Azerbaijan.
“I would also like to wish Rashid and Gordon every success in their important new roles”.
Notes to Editors:
Rashid has 17 years of leadership experience in BP, culminating in becoming Regional President of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey region in August 2009.
Rashid’s many significant successes in the region include: sanctioning of the Chirag Oil Project; negotiating and signing of the Shafag Asiman PSA; creation of the Shah Deniz Integrated Organization; direct participation in delivery of the Ankara 2010 MOU and Izmir 2011 agreements; approval of FEED Stage for Shah Deniz 2; negotiation and delivery of Amendment 3 to the BTC–BIL Agreement; a suite of ACG commercial agreements including terms for Non-Associated Gas Contract; achievement of record Shah Deniz 1 production, at 960 mmscfd; and the launch of the PREP Programme for post-graduate national staff development in technical disciplines
His previous roles include: exploration director Amoco Caspian Sea; president of Amoco Inam Operating Company; president of three BP Amoco-operated PSAs - Shah Deniz, Inam and Araz-Alov-Sharg; BP Group strategy development manager, based in London; vice-president for BP's Southern North Sea business in Aberdeen; chief executive officer of the BTC Co. and vice-president of BP Azerbaijan for Onshore Operations.
In the AGT region, Rashid has contributed to increasing local content of our suppliers, and to the development of national staff. This has led to nationalization of many key management and technical positions within AGT region.
Rashid holds a number of scientific and educational degrees as Professor of Geophysics, Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy, PhD in Geophysics, and M.Sc. in Geophysics. He is a member of Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences. He also completed executive management programmes at Duke University, Rice University, and Harvard Business School.
Rashid is married and has two daughters.
Gordon is a highly experienced oil and gas industry professional with a 26-year track record of leading and operating in the Upstream. He joined BP in 1986 into the BP Graduate Training Programme. He spent the early part of his career in a variety of operating, engineering and leadership roles both onshore and offshore in the North Sea – in the Magnus Field, Forties Field, Miller Field development, Sullom Voe Terminal and in BP’s Central Engineering Organization.
In 1999 he moved to London to BP’s corporate headquarters, holding a number of staff roles. He then moved to Azerbaijan to lead Exploration and Appraisal projects including the early stages of the Shah Deniz Development.
From 2001 to 2005 Gordon led BP’s production operations in Alaska and Canada as Performance Unit Leader and Business Unit Leader respectively. In 2005 he was appointed Business Unit Leader for BP’s mature assets in the North Sea, responsible for a business producing around 250,000 barrels equivalent of oil and gas a day. During this period he was a Director of BP Exploration Operating Company Ltd and Britoil plc.
He then went on to hold a number of roles including Upstream Technology Vice President and Head of Upstream Executive Office.
Since late 2010 he has been the Head of Safety and Operational Risk for BP’s Production Division leading a global team that is deployed into each region where BP operates in the upstream around the world. He was also a Director of the BP Subsea Well Response Company Ltd.
Gordon is currently a Vice Chairman of the International Oil and Gas Producers Association (OGP), the global trade association for upstream oil and gas producers. He has been a member of the OGP Management Committee for four years.
He is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Gordon has an MBA from Warwick University and an honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Gordon is married and has three sons.
Tamam Bayatly, BP Baku Press Office, telephone: +994 (0) 599 4557