Martin Houston

Martin Houston

Executive Chairman of the Board

Following his studies which commenced with a bachelor's degree in geology from Newcastle University in 1979 and then a petroleum geology master's degree from Imperial College London in 1983, Martin was employed by BG Group plc and its predecessor companies, retiring after 32 years in February 2014 as chief operating officer and a member of the board of directors.

He's managed all forms of enterprise in the energy industry, has established a strong external reputation in the international gas business and is largely credited with being the key architect of BG Group's world class LNG business. In recognition of this, in 2011 he was the first recipient of the CWC LNG Executive of the Year award.

He was previously (2004 - 2009) a non-executive director of Severn Trent plc, an integrated water and environmental company. He is a former director of SIGTTO, the international organization representing gas tanker and gas terminal operators worldwide. From 2008 to 2014 he was the GIIGNL regional vice-president for the Americas. Between 2015, and 2018 he was the chairman of TPH International, a boutique investment bank based in Houston, Texas.

In January 2014, he was appointed as a non-executive director of BUPA, an international healthcare group. He sits on the nominations committee and is chairman of the remuneration committee.

In June 2014, he was appointed a non-executive director of CCC Energy, a private E&P company with 40,000 bbl/d oil production in Oman.

In February 2016, he co-founded Tellurian Inc. with Charif Souki and is now the vice chairman. Tellurian is developing a ~27.6 mtpa LNG export project in Louisiana.

In June 2016, Martin was appointed as vice-chairman of Hakluyt North a company which provides independent, strategic advice to the world's leading multinationals and financial institutions on complex issues.

In February 2018 he was appointed by Moelis and Company as Chairman of its global energy group.

Martin's other activities include:

  • Council member of the National Petroleum Council of the United States of America
  • Fellow of the Geological Society of London
  • Member of the Development Committee of the Royal Opera House of London
  • Member of the advisory board of the Global Energy Policy unit at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, New York.
  • Member of the advisory board of Radia Inc.
Dillon J. Ferguson

Dillon J. Ferguson

Director

Dillon J. Ferguson is a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP in its energy and litigation practices. Mr. Ferguson focuses his practice on oil and gas law, with an emphasis on both transaction and litigation matters. His clients are comprised of companies and individuals who are engaged in oil and gas activities, including exploration, production, processing, transportation, marketing and consumption. Mr. Ferguson has been a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP since May 2016. He was a partner at Andrews Kurth LLP from 2001 to May 2016. Mr. Ferguson earned his B.B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin and his J.D. from South Texas College of Law.

Diana Derycz-Kessler

Diana Derycz-Kessler

Director

Ms. Diana Derycz-Kessler is a private investor with holdings in a variety or sectors including oil and gas. Related to her investments she has taken on active operational roles, including special counsel to Bristol Capital Advisors and a 17-year tenure as CEO of the media arts college Los Angeles Film School. Ms. Derycz-Kessler's early career began as a lawyer in the international oil and gas sector working for the law firm Curtis, Mallet, Prevost, Colt and Mosle, and subsequently for Occidental Petroleum. She worked out of New York, Mexico and other Latin America countries. Ms. Derycz-Kessler launched her private practice with a focus on oil and gas, investments, and capital raising representation. In 2000, she and her husband founded their investment advisory firm which led her to her current role as an investor. Ms. Derycz-Kessler became a leader in UNESCO's TeachHer program, a private public sector partnership bridging the global gender gap in education. Ms. Derycz-Kessler holds a Law Degree from Harvard Law School and a Master's Degree from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the State Bar of California and the American Bar Association.

Don Turkleson

Don Turkleson

Director

Mr. Turkleson began his career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen and has served in various financial roles at public and private companies including in the role of Chief Financial Officer at Cheniere, Laurus and Gulf Coast Energy Resources. His experience includes initial public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, master limited partnerships, project financings and debt offerings. He is recognized for corporate leadership, corporate governance and strategic planning, and working toward stability in environments of change and rapid growth. Mr. Turkleson serves as a director and board chair of NextPoint Financial IncHe has also served on the board of directors at ACCEL Energy Canada Limited, Cheniere Energy Partners LP Holdings, LLC, QEP Midstream Partners GP, LLC, Miller Energy Resources, Inc., Cheniere Energy Partners GP, LLC, and Stone Horn Ridge, LLC.

Jonathan Gross

Jonathan Gross

Director

Jonathan Gross is an oil and gas consultant and his company Jexco LLC has provided upstream exploration geological, geophysical, and information technology (IT) services to clients with projects in domestic and international basins since 2009.  Mr. Gross previously served in senior management roles at Energy Partners, Ltd., Kuwait Energy Company, and Cheniere Energy, Inc.  While at Cheniere from 1999 to 2008, he was responsible for its exploration program and international LNG sourcing.  In addition, from 1999 to 2005, he was responsible for IT, including data management and cybersecurity.  Mr. Gross began his career at Amoco Production Company in 1981.  He served on the board of Miller Energy Resources, Inc. (2010-2012) and on the board of Cheniere Energy Partners LP Holdings LLC, a publicly traded subsidiary of Cheniere, where he was a member of the Audit and Conflicts Committees.  Mr. Gross is a Certified Director, having earned the NACD.DC credential from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD).  In addition, he has earned the NACD CERT Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. 

Jean Abiteboul

Jean Abiteboul

Director

Jean Abiteboul is President of GIIGNL, the Paris- based International Group of LNG Importers founded in 1971. GIIGNL has 86 member companies headquartered in 27 countries, and GIIGNL members handle more than 90% of LNG imports worldwide. He is an engineer and was formerly President of Cheniere Marketing Ltd and an Executive Officer of Cheniere Energy, Inc. Mr. Abiteboul began and spent the majority of his career at Gaz de France (now Engie), serving in various executive capacities and on various boards.