Governance

Ferdinando Rigardo

Chief Executive Officer

Ferdinando Rigardo is the Chief Executive Officer of Repsol UK and is based in the UK since September 2024. He is part of the Senior Leadership Team and the Executive Upstream Committee of Repsol.

Prior to that Ferdinando was Executive Director of Americas Region of Upstream in Repsol, based in Houston since Mid-September 2020. In that role Ferdinando was in charge of Upstream business for USA, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago.

Ferdinando has been in charge of Upstream business until August 2020 for Asia and Russia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Kurdistan and Russia.

He has a broad range of international experience developed in Upstream business, including operations and projects in Italy, Angola, Spain, Libya, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, Russia, Kurdistan and Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining Repsol in 1998, he was with Total (France) developing projects and different operational roles in Italy and Angola.

In the last 15 years, Ferdinando was responsible for leading key strategic and business operations with Government entities in Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, South America, North Africa, West Africa, North Europe, Middle East and Russia (Oil & Gas Ministries, regulators, National Oil Companies), majors, independents and oilfield service providers.

These activities included from operations, projects, asset evaluations, gas price negotiations and turnaround of assets through production and operations efficiency focused on processes and costs.

He led the re-organization in the Southeast Asia countries after the purchase of Talisman, Canadian company.

Ferdinando holds two PhD’s in Petroleum Engineering from Politecnico of Torino, Italy and from ENSPM in IFP France, he completed an MBA in IMD Lausanne Switzerland and a PADE in IESE Madrid.

Jorge Barrόn

Chief Operating Officer

Jorge brings over 30 years of international experience in the oil and gas industry. Previously, he served as Director of Global Drilling and Completions at Repsol E&P. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University. Additionally, he possesses internationally recognized management qualifications and expertise in digital transformation.

Lorena Dominguez

Chief Technical Officer

Lorena has 20 years of experience in the oil & gas industry. Lorena holds a degree in Marine Sciences, a master’s degree in oil and gas management and an Executive MBA from the IE Business School. Since she joined Repsol in 2006, she held a variety of executive and leadership roles at Repsol over this period, including COO of Repsol Sinopec Brazil. Her international experience includes Denmark, Argentina, Brazil, Spain and the United States among others. Lorena was appointed CTO of Repsol UK effective November 1st, 2023.

German Dario Castro Valderrama

Chief Financial Officer

German Castro is the Chief Financial Officer of Repsol UK and is based in the UK since November 2023.

German has 32 years of experience, 30 of them in the Oil & Gas industry mostly serving in CFO area and Performance Management, he holds a degree in Accounting and MBA from ESIC, Marketing School in Madrid, with international experience within Repsol in Venezuela, Trinidad, Libya, Spain, Canada, US, and Repsol Resources UK, since November 2023.

Adam Sheikh

Chief Commercial & Stakeholder Relations Officer

Adam has 20 years’ experience working within the Energy Industry. Adam is a Chartered Engineer of the Energy Institute and is a certified Asset Manager. As well as being part of the Alumni for the Scottish Enterprise “Future Industry Leaders program” Adam has executive education at the London Business School.

Prior to his current role as Chief Commercial and Stakeholder Relations Officer, Adam held the position of Vice President of Decommissioning and Energy Transition. Adam has held various positions ranging from offshore supervisory positions to onshore Asset Management and functional/corporate departmental head roles most notably serving as VP of Business Projects where he led business transformation programmes. In addition, Adam has chaired cross industry forums guiding improvements across the UK continental shelf.

In his current capacity Adam is part of the Leadership Team. His position is accountable for commercial, business development, stakeholder relations and special projects.

Ana Belen Valdes Gallego

Head of People & Organisation

Ana Belén has 25 years of experience, mainly in Repsol Group. She has a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Ana Belén commenced her career in Repsol as an internal auditor acquiring deep knowledge of all Repsol businesses and corporate, as well as international experience. In 2014 she moved to the People and Organisation (P&O) function within the Repsol Oil & Gas business and since then has occupied different positions in Spain, Canada and from April 2024, the position of Head of P&O in the UK.

Louise Cowie

Head of Legal

Louise has over 20 years’ legal experience in the energy industry advising on all aspects of energy law including M&A transactions, regulatory and licensing matters, field development projects, joint venture arrangements, decommissioning and decommissioning security. Louise has also worked in commercial and business development and has led and been involved in several industry initiatives. Louise holds an LLB(Hons) from the University of Aberdeen and is dual qualified in Scots and English law.

Julio Jose Hernandez-Rubio Rodriguez

Head of IT & Digital

Julio Hernandez-Rubio has 25 years of experience, 17 in the E&P industry. He holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and a Certificate in Process Mastery from Hammer&Co. He began his career as a management consultant at Accenture and Everis (now NTT Data), focusing on process reengineering and business strategy. He has held different management roles in Process Improvement and Information Management at the Repsol E&P Technical Office. Julio was appointed Head of IT&D, Repsol Resources UK Limited, effective 8 April 2024.

Michael Brady

Head of HSE

Mike has 17 years’ experience in the oil & gas upstream sector. Mike holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Mike began his career as Mechanical Engineer supporting the assets in the Greater Fulmar Area. He has subsequently held numerous onshore and offshore operational roles including Piper Production Team Leader, Auk OIM, Clyde OIM and Flotta Catchment Area Asset Manager.

Rafael Marquez

Head of Supply Chain Management

Rafael Marquez has 14 years’ experience in the oil & gas upstream sector. Rafael holds a degree in Business Management and an MBA from ICADE Business School in Madrid. Rafael commenced his career in the Oil & Gas Sector in 2010 in SCM in Repsol, holding positions in different locations overseas, i.e. Algeria, Mexico and Houston. Rafael was appointed Head of SCM, Repsol Resources UK Limited, effective 1 July 2023.

Ferdinando Rigardo

Chief Executive Officer, Repsol UK

Ferdinando Rigardo is the Chief Executive Officer of Repsol UK and is based in the UK since September 2024. He is part of the Senior Leadership Team and the Executive Upstream Committee of Repsol.

Prior to that Ferdinando was Executive Director of Americas Region of Upstream in Repsol, based in Houston since Mid-September 2020. In that role Ferdinando was in charge of Upstream business for USA, Canada, Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Trinidad & Tobago.

Ferdinando has been in charge of Upstream business until August 2020 for Asia and Russia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Kurdistan and Russia.

He has a broad range of international experience developed in Upstream business, including operations and projects in Italy, Angola, Spain, Libya, Venezuela, Trinidad & Tobago, Russia, Kurdistan and Southeast Asia.

Prior to joining Repsol in 1998, he was with Total (France) developing projects and different operational roles in Italy and Angola.

In the last 15 years, Ferdinando was responsible for leading key strategic and business operations with Government entities in Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, South America, North Africa, West Africa, North Europe, Middle East and Russia (Oil & Gas Ministries, regulators, National Oil Companies), majors, independents and oilfield service providers.

These activities included from operations, projects, asset evaluations, gas price negotiations and turnaround of assets through production and operations efficiency focused on processes and costs.

He led the re-organization in the Southeast Asia countries after the purchase of Talisman, Canadian company.

Ferdinando holds two PhD’s in Petroleum Engineering from Politecnico of Torino, Italy and from ENSPM in IFP France, he completed an MBA in IMD Lausanne Switzerland and a PADE in IESE Madrid.

German Dario Castro Valderrama

Chief Financial Officer, Repsol UK

German Castro is the Chief Financial Officer of Repsol UK and is based in the UK since November 2023.

German has 32 years of experience, 30 of them in the Oil & Gas industry mostly serving in CFO area and Performance Management, he holds a degree in Accounting and MBA from ESIC, Marketing School in Madrid, with international experience within Repsol in Venezuela, Trinidad, Libya, Spain, Canada, US, and Repsol Resources UK, since November 2023.

Adam Sheikh

Chief Commercial & Stakeholder Relations Officer, Repsol UK

Adam has 20 years’ experience working within the Energy Industry. Adam is a Chartered Engineer of the Energy Institute and is a certified Asset Manager. As well as being part of the Alumni for the Scottish Enterprise “Future Industry Leaders program” Adam has executive education at the London Business School.

Prior to his current role as Chief Commercial and Stakeholder Relations Officer, Adam held the position of Vice President of Decommissioning and Energy Transition. Adam has held various positions ranging from offshore supervisory positions to onshore Asset Management and functional/corporate departmental head roles most notably serving as VP of Business Projects where he led business transformation programmes. In addition, Adam has chaired cross industry forums guiding improvements across the UK continental shelf.

In his current capacity Adam is part of the Leadership Team. His position is accountable for commercial, business development, stakeholder relations and special projects.

Les Thomas

Independent Director

Les Thomas has a Bsc (1st class hons) in Civil Engineering and a Masters degree in Petroleum Engineering, both from Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh.

Les has over 40 years’ experience in the Oil and Gas industry, in various subsurface, engineering, operational and senior management positions. Les was CEO of Ithaca Energy from 2013 to 2020 and previously served for eight years on the Board of Wood Group, as Chief Executive of its Production Facilities business and Group Director responsible for HSE. Prior to this, he spent 22 years with Marathon Oil in various locations and roles, including four years as European Business Unit Leader.

Les is also the non executive Chair of Jersey Oil and Gas PLC, an AIM listed oil and gas company and a non executive director of Avingtrans PLC, an AIM listed engineering and manufacturing business.