Executive Committee

Executive Committee

Chris Hopkinson, Interim Executive Chairman
Chris is currently Non-executive Chairman of Enwell Energy an AIM-quoted oil and gas exploration and production group and founder of Astra Resources Management advising utility scale PPP Solar projects.

Chris began his career with Shell International, followed by technical and management roles with Yukos and Lukoil Overseas, before becoming Chief Executive Officer of Imperial Energy Group up until its acquisition by ONGC in 2009. He was then Vice-President Western Siberia for TNK-BP, Senior Vice-President North Africa for BG Group, Chief Executive Officer of International Petroleum Limited, and Chief Operating Officer for JSC National Company KazMunayGas.

Chris holds a BSc Honours degree in Applied Physics from St Andrews University.

Frances Ward, Chief Financial Officer
Frances is a qualified accountant with over 15 years' senior management experience within the international oil and gas sector. 

Her previous experience included 11 years at Nexen Energy (now part of CNOOC) in various senior finance roles in their London and Calgary offices.

Frances Joined IGas in 2017 as Group Financial Controller and assumed overall responsibility for the finance function as Finance Director in July 2020.

Thamala Perera Schuetze, General Counsel
Thamala is a General Counsel with 20 years’ experience, over 13 years of which gained at the oil and gas industry. Prior to the reverse takeover of Star Energy Group Limited (then a wholly-owned subsidiary of PETRONAS) by the Company in 2011, Thamala was a member of the Management Team and the General Counsel of Star Energy responsible for the European Infrastructure Group of PETRONAS, with a primary focus on gas storage.

Thamala was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 2000 and during her career has held (among others) positions at the regulator, Ofgem, where she advised on electricity, gas and LNG projects and at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in the telecoms sector. Thamala holds a Master of Laws (LLM) in European Law from King’s College London.

Ann-marie Wilkinson, Chief Communications Officer
Appointed in 2013, Ann-marie is a communications and investor relations professional with over 25 years' experience in providing advice on both external and internal communications strategies. 

Ann-marie has advised many energy sector companies as a financial public relations and corporate relations consultant having previously worked at M:Communications, Bell Pottinger and Beattie Media. She also worked as a PRO at Smith New Court having joined from the Corporate Finance department at Touche Ross.

Ross Glover, Chief Operating Officer
Appointed in 2017, Ross is responsible for both new business and project development. His current focus is leading the diversification of the Company into complementary sectors. Prior to joining IGas, he ran a UK based renewable energy project development company with a focus on onshore wind. Ross started his career in Southern Africa managing capital projects in the mineral processing and mining sector. After moving to the UK in 2003, he worked for one of the UK's largest public sector leasing and managed equipment services companies where he was responsible for corporate acquisitions, disposals and structured finance.

Ross holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from Warwick Business School.