International Energy Forum Elects Next Secretary General
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Executive Board of the International Energy Forum (IEF), chaired by Esam Alkhalifa of Saudi Arabia, met on Wednesday, 18 December 2019 for its annual meeting and elected Joseph McMonigle of the United States of America as the 5th IEF Secretary General.
Mr. McMonigle will start his term as Secretary General on August 1, 2020 when the four-year term of current IEF Secretary General Dr. Sun Xiansheng of China is completed.
"I am honored by executive board's confidence in electing me as the organization’s next Secretary General," Mr. McMonigle said. "I look forward to working with the board and Secretariat staff to facilitate and strengthen the dialogue of important energy issues and challenges facing our member countries."
Mr. McMonigle is the President of The Abraham Group, an international consulting firm based in Washington DC. He is also a senior energy policy analyst at Hedgeye Risk Management in Stamford, Connecticut and a Principal at Blank Rome LLP in Washington DC.
With over 25 years in the public and private energy sectors, Mr. McMonigle is well known as an energy policy expert, geopolitical strategist, and leading analyst of energy markets.
Prior to his current private sector work, Mr. McMonigle was Vice Chairman of the International Energy Agency Board of Governors (2003-2005) and Chief of Staff at the US Department of Energy (DOE) during the George W. Bush Administration (2002- 2005). In addition to his other duties at DOE, Mr. McMonigle also served as Co-Chair of the US-China Energy Working Group (2003-2005).
The IEF is the world's largest gathering of Energy Ministers from both producing and consuming countries as well as transit states. The IEF's 70 member countries represent 90 percent of global supply and demand for oil and gas. Member countries cooperate under the neutral framework of the IEF to foster greater mutual understanding and awareness of common energy interests to ensure global energy security.
The Secretary General serves as Chief Executive and Head of Mission of the IEF, which is headquartered in the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
For more information about the International Energy Forum, please visit our website at www.ief.org
