2021 ENERGY EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Energy Intelligence has announced that that His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Managing Director & Group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has been named as Energy Intelligence’s Energy Executive of the Year for 2021.
The award recognizes Dr. Al Jaber’s role in mapping a path of modernization for national oil companies. Dr. Al Jaber was elected by the leaders of the world’s top energy companies and is the 25th winner of this distinguished honor. The award will be presented to Dr. Al Jaber at the year's Energy Intelligence Forum held October 4-7, 2021.
“Dr. Al Jaber has distinguished himself as an innovator at a time of great change,” said Raja Sidawi, Chairman and Chief Executive of Energy Intelligence. “He has reimagined ADNOC’s operations, its strategy and its culture.”
Dr. Al Jaber is widely recognized as spearheading Abu Dhabi’s energy modernization program over the last 15 years. He has overseen a transformation of ADNOC since assuming leadership in 2016, responding to the risks and opportunities presented by the energy transition. Dr. Al Jaber earlier served as the first chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar from 2006 to 2013. Dr. Al Jaber has also served in the United Arab Emirates cabinet since 2013, with responsibilities in the industrial, technology and climate sectors.
As CEO of ADNOC, Dr. Al Jaber has overseen a new approach to external partnerships, launched an initial public offering of its retail unit, promoted self-sufficiency in gas, introduced financial innovation and, most recently, challenged regional oil pricing with the launch of a new Murban crude futures contract.
He has also moved to prepare ADNOC for a lower-carbon future by addressing upstream emissions, boosting carbon capture capacity, and pioneering production of green hydrogen.
The selection process for the Energy Executive of the Year award – formerly known as the Petroleum Executive of the Year award – is administered by Energy Intelligence. The group gathers nominations from the heads of the world’s 100 largest oil and gas companies and stakeholders, as determined by the annual Energy Intelligence Top 100 rankings. Winners are chosen by a vote of the selection committee comprised of previous award winners and senior industry executives. Previous winners of the award include Amin Nasser of Saudi Aramco (2020), Ben van Beurden of Royal Dutch Shell (2019), Bob Dudley of BP (2018), Patrick Pouyanné of Total (2017), H.E. Khalid Al-Falih of Saudi Aramco (2016), and Rex W. Tillerson of Exxon Mobil (2015).
Background
Dr. Al Jaber has served as chief executive of ADNOC since February 2016. In addition, he holds key positions in the governments of Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was named the UAE Minister for Industry and Advanced Technology in July 2020, after serving as Minister of State from March 2013 to July 2020. He is also the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, a position he held from 2010 to 2016 and assumed again last year, playing an instrumental role in bringing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to Masdar City.
Dr. Al Jaber is chairman of Masdar, sits on the Emirates Diplomatic Academy Board of Trustees, is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Media Company.
Dr. Al Jaber graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in chemical and petroleum engineering. He went on to earn a master’s degree in business administration from California State University and a doctorate in business and economics from Coventry University.