Directors & Management
Michael Hibberd, Chairman and Non-Executive Director
Mr. Hibberd has extensive international energy project planning and capital markets experience. He has been President and CEO of MJH Services Inc., a corporate finance advisory company, since 1995, prior to which he spent 12 years with ScotiaMcLeod in corporate finance and held the position of director and Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance. He is Co-Chairman of Sunshine Oilsands Ltd. and currently serves on the boards of directors of AltaCanada Energy Corp., Canacol Energy Ltd., Challenger Energy Corp., Iteration Energy Ltd., Pan Orient Energy Corp., Ramtelecom Inc. and Zapata Energy Corporation. Mr. Hibberd also served as a director of Rally Energy Corp. until October 2007 and as a director of Deer Creek Energy Limited until December 2005. Mr. Hibberd joined the Group in March 2006.
Tony Buckingham, Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Buckingham is the founder of the Group. Mr. Buckingham commenced his involvement in the oil industry as a North Sea diver and subsequently became a concession negotiator acting for several companies including Ranger Oil Limited and Premier Oil plc. He was previously a security adviser to various governments.
Paul Atherton, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Atherton is a qualified accountant, having qualified with Deloitte & Touche, and holds a degree in geology from Imperial College London. He has a corporate finance background with specific experience in the international mining and resource sectors. He joined the Group in 2000 and joined the Board of Directors in 2005.
Salim Hassan Macki, Non-Executive Director
Mr. Macki was a Member of the State Council, Former Ambassador, Government of Sultanate of Oman and has been a Director of Oman Oil (a wholly owned Government Company) since 1996. Mr. Macki holds a Master's degree in Petrochemical Engineering and has spent most of his working life in the oil industry, where he is highly regarded internationally. He holds, or has previously held, many senior executive positions in various private and state owned entities in Oman and internationally. He joined the Group on 13 August 2008.
General Sir Michael Wilkes KCB, CBE, Non-Executive Director
General Sir Michael Wilkes retired from the British Army in 1995 as Adjutant General and Middle East Adviser to the British Government on defence matters. As Adjutant General, Sir Michael was the most senior administrative officer within the Army and a member of the Army Board. During his distinguished career, he has seen active service across the world while also commanding at every level from Platoon to Field Army including commanding the 22 Special Air Service Regiment and serving as the Director of Special Forces. Sir Michael is a non-executive director of AIM listed Stanley Gibbons Group. In addition he holds non-executive positions on a number of private companies including Britam Defence and Trico Ltd and chairs the Advisory Board of PegasusBridge Fund Management Limited, a homeland security Company. He joined the Group on 18 March 2008.
John McLeod, Non-Executive Director
Mr. McLeod is a Professional Engineer with over 38 years of varied domestic and international oil and gas experience. He is the President of McLeod Petroleum Consulting Limited, President, CEO and a Director of Tuscany Energy Ltd., Paris Energy Inc. and California Oil and Gas Corporation. He has held positions and served on various boards including Constellation Oil & Gas Ltd. and CanArgo Energy Inc., as President and CEO of Arakis Energy Company, as VP, Operations of Pengrowth Gas Company, CEO and director of Rally Energy Corp. and Canoro Resources. Currently, Mr. McLeod serves as a director of Diaz Resources Ltd. and March Resources Ltd. He is immediate Past-President of the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta. He joined the Group in 1998.
Gregory Turnbull, Non-Executive Director
Mr. Turnbull is the Regional Managing Partner of the Calgary office of the law firm of McCarthy Tétrault LLP. Mr. Turnbull has extensive knowledge of corporate governance issues and has acted for many boards of directors and special committees in that regard. Mr. Turnbull started his career with the law firm of MacKimmie Matthews in 1979. From 1987 to 2001, he was a partner with Gowlings LLP (formerly Code Hunter LLP). In 2001 and 2002, he was a partner with the law firm of Donahue LLP. Mr. Turnbull has been a partner with the law firm of McCarthy Tétrault LLP since July 2002. He joined the Group in 1997.
Brian Smith - VP Exploration
Mr. Smith has 30 years experience in the oil industry. He initially worked as an exploration geologist for Exxon in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Later he joined Enterprise Oil where he managed various exploration projects in the Far East and Eastern Europe/FSU. He joined Heritage as Vice President, Exploration in 1997.
Stephen Kobak - VP Production Russia and CIS
Stephen Kobak, a qualified engineer, has 27 years of experience in oil and gas production operations, reservoir studies and asset development. The companies he has worked for include ESSO, Shell International and Khanty Mansiysk Oil Corporation in Western Siberia where he held senior management positions guiding technical and operations activities. He has extensive international experience working in Russia, the Far East, Middle East and Canada. Mr. Kobak joined Heritage in 2007.
James Baban - General Manager, Kurdistan
Mr. Baban has over 30 years experience in the upstream oil and gas industry. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of The Energy Institute in the United Kingdom and has previously worked for Petro-Canada, Burlington Resources, Veba Oil, BP & BG. Mr. Baban has extensive skills in the development and management of international offshore and onshore projects, having worked in the Middle East, Far East and North Africa. Mr. Baban joined Heritage in 2005.