Leadership
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Jassim Alshirawi
Secretary General
Jassim Alshirawi 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. Alshirawi has held prominent leadership roles across both public and private sectors.
Before his appointment as Secretary General, Mr. Alshirawi 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.
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Lina Murad
Head of International Relations & Division Director of External Affairs
Acting Director of AdministrationLina 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.
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Christof van Agt Ross
Director of Energy Dialogue
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.
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Simon Stoddart
Head of Global Communication
Simon Stoddart is Head of Global Communication at the International Energy Forum (IEF). An expert in energy security and international affairs, he brings decades of experience across international energy companies, governments, and multilateral institutions.
His career began with Mobil North Sea and Conoco in the United Kingdom, where he gained broad experience across corporate, commercial, and public-affairs roles, building a strong understanding of how people, policy, and markets interact across global energy systems.
Simon then joined the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, serving there for seven years, working first in the Emergency Preparedness Division and later as Special Advisor to the Deputy Executive Director. In these roles, he led engagement with Member governments, international organizations, and industry, and contributed to strengthening oil security policy, data-integrity initiatives, and the IEA’s producer–consumer dialogue.
In 2004, Simon helped establish the IEF Secretariat in Riyadh, serving as Chief of Staff and Head of Public Affairs under four Secretaries General and supporting the Forum’s expanding global role until the end of 2017. Subsequently, he became the United Kingdom’s Head of International Oil Security and Strategy, before returning to the IEF in 2025 to lead its global communications function.
National Expert - Italy
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Alberto Jr. Pela
Alberto Jr Pela is the national expert assigned by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security to the IEF to strengthen Italy’s collaboration with the Forum. At the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security of Italy Dr Pela oversees several international energy relations activities focused on the energy sector and represents the country in G7, G20, COP and other multilateral fora. He has also served as expert advisor to the Minister and senior political leadership, supporting international initiatives, multilateral negotiations, and bilateral engagements, including at COP28 and Italy’s G7 2024 and G20 2021 Presidencies on energy-related issues.
Dr Pela has extensive experience in coordinating high-level negotiations and strategic activities, as a panelist in high-level technical and institutional conferences, and is responsible for defining and implementing key bilateral agreements and initiatives in the energy sector. He also serves as Italy’s delegate to key expert groups such as IEF, IEA SLT and the Clean Energy Ministerial.
A technical expert on energy security and sustainability sectors, he has led multilateral capacity building programmes such as in Albania, Georgia and Malawi. Previously, he spent around 15 years at the Italian Energy Agency (GSE), working on international relations, regulatory affairs and advising the CEO, including as Head of the Italy-India Cleantech Observatory in New Delhi promoting technology cooperation and clean-energy partnerships.
