David A. Hobbs currently serves as Chairman. Mr. Hobbs is an expert in energy industry structure and strategies with nearly 40 years of experience, currently as Executive Chairman of Pantheon Resources Plc and, before that, as Head of Research at The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) where he helped establish a world leading think tank in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Hobbs has also served as Chief Energy Strategist at IHS (now S&P Global) and as Co-Chair of CERAWEEK, providing insight to governments and major energy companies around the world. Prior to CERA, Mr. Hobbs was Head of Business Development with Monument Oil & Gas and managed the North American and Asian businesses of Hardy Oil & Gas.
Mr. Looper has been an independent oil and gas producer since 1982, with experience drilling and operating wells in Colorado, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. In addition, he maintains project management experience in Botswana, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since 1993, Mr. Looper has been focused on the development of large resource plays in West Texas at Riata Energy, Inc. and most recently in the Barnett Shale trend, where his capital providers achieved >100% rates of return.
Mr. Wagner is an industry veteran with an extensive career in the oil and gas sector. His early professional years were enriched by his tenure at Atlas Copco. In 2003, Mr. Wagner assumed the role of Vice President of Business Development at Atlas Copco Comptec in the US. His leadership journey continued in 2011 when he assumed the roles of Divisional President for Atlas Copco Gas and Process Division and General Manager of Atlas Copco Energas GmbH. In 2016, Mr. Wagner was CEO and Managing Director of LEWA GmbH (in Germany) and is currently CEO and Director, Cryogenic Industries, Inc. (the Company’s consolidated subsidiary in America/CEO of Nikkiso Clean Energy & Industrial Gases Group). In addition he serves as Director on the Board of Nikkiso Co., Ltd in Tokyo, Japan.
Douglas Heller has been serving the Company as a director since October 2023. Mr. Heller also currently serves as Chairman, President & CEO of Sun Drilling Products Corp., a specialty oilfield products company based in Louisiana. He has also been a Partner in the Houston based private equity investment firm of Heller Hickox & Company which he co-founded in 1991 and which has specialized in structuring and leading oil and gas equity investments for over three decades. From 1987 to 1991 he served as Vice President of Butcher Resources, Inc. in Philadelphia, PA and was responsible for oil and gas investment and merchant banking activity. Mr. Heller began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1979 as an exploration geologist with Texaco Inc. in New Orleans, Louisiana where he held various technical and managerial positions prior to 1987 with primary responsibility for offshore exploration and production activities in the Gulf of Mexico. Mr. Heller holds a B.S. in Geosciences from The Pennsylvania State University (1979). He is an active member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Society of Petroleum Engineers and has served on the Boards of various portfolio companies in which his firm has had a controlling interest over the years. The Board believes that Mr. Heller’s extensive experience, his education and professional credentials qualify him to serves as a member of the Company’s Board.
Tralisa Maraj is a Global CFO with 24+ years of progressive experience, including 14 years within a top 4 worldwide public accounting firm and extensive experience in oil and gas upstream companies. Ms. Maraj has served as Chief Financial Officer of LiveWire Group Inc. since summer 2022. Prior to joining LiveWire, Ms. Maraj was Chief Financial Officer of CGX Energy Inc. from January 2012 to November 2021. Before joining CGX Energy Inc., Ms. Maraj held the role of Corporate Controller at Remora Energy from October 2009 to October 2011. Prior to this, Ms. Maraj spent a total of 14 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers from September 1995 to October 2009 with her last position being that of Senior Manager. Ms. Maraj is a Charted Accountant under the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK and CPA licensed in the State of Texas.
Mr. Martell is a Saxe Distinguished Professor of Finance at Baruch College/CUNY, bringing a significant base of finance and corporate governance expertise to the Board. Concurrently, he serves as Chairman of Intercontinental Exchange (“ICE”) Clear US – the US clearing house for ICE’s futures and options trading – as well as a Director of ICE Clear Credit and Vice Chair of ICE Futures U.S. Mr. Martell serves on the Boards of Toronto-listed exploration and production company VVC as well as at Gresham Investment Management LLC and the Tara Emerging Asia Liquid Fund. In addition, he chairs the Audit Committee as a trustee of the PSC/CUNY Welfare Fund, which manages drug and dental benefits for the employees of the City University of New York. Previously, he served as a Trustee of the City University of New York as well as on the Board of Intercontinental Exchange. A resident of Pelham, New York, he served as President of the Pelham School Board and the United Way of Pelham. Mr. Martell received his BA in Economics from Iona University and his Ph.D. in Finance from the Pennsylvania State University.