ASCENT WORKS - Key Persons
Dianne brings over 30 years of senior experience in the energy industry- the majority of which has been in a trading environment as a leader for BP in various locations throughout the USA, and in London. Dianne's focus is on supporting nimble and complex commercial growth, implementing and improving control frameworks, and managing operational risks. She has worked in a range of leadership positions including sales and marketing, business development, and strategic planning. Dianne holds a BA from California State University Fullerton and MBA from University of Southern California.
Elsa's career has been focused on physical energy trading for 30 years. Initially working in Shell, then a Trading House and BP, she has held leadership roles in London and Singapore. The variety in scale and organisation, has provided Elsa with an overview to processes that can bridge silos between commercial and back-office functions. Elsa was asked to join BP as the first Global head of Operational Excellence across Supply and Trading and then Chief of Staff to the CEO of this group. Elsa has intensive knowledge of Operations, from on desk positions to regional and global leadership. She has worked with several ETRM systems and held representative positions at conferences. Whilst being the catalyst and subject matter expert for technology projects to create efficiency across the trading floor, Elsa has a pragmatic approach to utilise systems and people to the best of their abilities.
Job Titles:
- Principal and Founder of AWP
Jeff is the Principal and Founder of AWP and brings to your service over two decades of senior line leadership transforming finance and risk teams in trading organizations into industry-leading sources of commercial value, with BP's supply and trading division in London and Houston, and in corporate- and investment banking with Dresdner Kleinwort and Commerzbank in Frankfurt and London. Before life on a trading floor, Jeff worked in software purchasing and served in the US Army. He speaks English and German with native fluency and holds a BA in Economics with highest honors from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the University of Maryland.
Karen is a Senior Advisor at AWP with more than twenty years' experience in the energy and financial services sectors, primarily in the management of credit risk. Her experience includes oversight of financial derivatives, physical commodities, and accounts receivable portfolios, as well as collateral valuation and management. Prior to retiring from BP in 2016, Karen worked at various financial institutions in New York and Sao Paulo, including Citibank, ING Barings, Wachovia, and Deutsche Bank. Karen graduated cum laude with an MBA from New York University's Stern School of Business.
Russell has been underwriting counterparty credit risk in the energy industry for 23+ years- initially in banking with ABN Amro, followed by a career in energy trading with Enron, Merrill Lynch and BP. In addition to underwriting, he has extensive structured transaction experience across physical and financial products, asset management, and synthetic loans. Russell has developed long lasting relationships within the industry and is known as a reliable advocate for counterparties facing credit constraints and obstacles. He holds a BA in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in Finance from The University of Houston, Bauer School of Business. He has also completed a Certificate in Energy Management through Rice University.
Stephen is a Senior Associate of AWP and brings over two decades of wide-ranging energy experience- from refinery risk analyst in the UK/Netherlands, to regional CFO of BP's supply and trading division in Canada. He has turned around struggling teams, developed best practice, led significant change both organizational and system-related, and is known for his ability to move complex projects forward. Stephen holds a BSC in mathematics from Hull/Osnabrueck and is a qualified management accountant.