Leadership

Jassim Al Shirawi assumed office on January 1, 2025, as the sixth Secretary General of the International Energy Forum (IEF). With over 40 years of experience in the energy sector, Mr. Al Shirawi has held prominent leadership roles across both public and private sectors.

Before his appointment as Secretary General, Mr. Al Shirawi served in various senior positions within national and international energy organizations including roles at Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), the Bahrain’s Minister of Oil & Gas and Minister of Electricity and Water, where he oversaw the implementation of the National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Plans.

Recognized for his contributions to Bahrain’s energy sector, he received the prestigious Order of National Action medal.

Lina Murad is the Head of International Relations and Division Director of External Affairs after previously serving as a Government and International Relations Officer at the IEF. Ms. Murad is also the acting Director of Administration.

In her new role, Ms. Murad manages the Secretary General’s office. She will lead all external affairs of the IEF including with Governments and Member Countries, Executive Board, other international organisations, private sector and other key stakeholders of the IEF. She serves as the main point of contact for all ministerial meetings and high-level events as well as the lead contact for relations with IEF host government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Ms. Murad was one of the first staff members of the IEF Secretariat after working at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as well as several diplomatic missions based in in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

She studied political science and is fluent in English, French and Arabic.

Christof van Agt Ross is the Director of Energy Dialogue and leads IEF programs that advance producer-consumer country energy dialogue and collaboration through IEF ministerial fora, stakeholder meetings with partner organisations, and other government platforms such as the G20.

His work at the IEF includes coordination of the trilateral work programme with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as collaboration on energy security, market transparency, and orderly and inclusive transitions with other institutions, industry stakeholders, national agencies, and research centers. Until his appointment as a Director, van Agt Ross was a Senior Energy Analyst in the Energy Dialogue Division.

Prior to joining the IEF, van Agt Ross was a Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael International Energy Programme with the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael where he published and trained international relations and energy market dynamics to diplomats and private sector trainees.

Other previous assignments include: International Energy Agency (IEA) as Programme Manager for the Caspian region, Energy Charter Secretariat negotiating international energy frameworks, and the European Commission External Relations Directorate on technical assistance in the energy sector of Central and Eastern European Studies.

His 28-year association with energy and international relations began with a placement at the Institute for International Energy Law of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands 1992 where he studied Russian and multidisciplinary studies on Eastern Europe.