About Us
Fueling Growth through Energy
In 2013, a new chapter began: the creation of Maha, an independent international oil company, focusing on recovering oil and gas reserves and operating productive assets. With a team of industry experts and a defined purpose, Maha began the journey of building a solid base of oil and gas assets and growing strategy.
Our first major acquisition was in the first year of operation (2013), when we acquired Lak Ranch, in the USA, and, immediately, three wells were drilled to increase the production. In the following years, after successful operations, Maha AB was created and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm First North Growth Market. With new plans defined and investments made, Maha completes acquisition in Brazil and reaches 100% of operational interest in Tie Field and in six additional concession contracts onshore in Brazil.
In 2019, Maha received an invitation to participate in the bidding process for Block 70, a highly promising area located in Oman. The company responded with a competitive proposal, engaging in negotiations with the government, ultimately securing the rights to operate in the Block.
With an exploration and appraisal drilling campaign at Block 70 in Oman, 2022 was a year of great results for Maha, and the beginning of a significant financial and operational transformation. Furthermore, three new members of our Board have joined us, together with new members of our management team, enhancing our existing governance structure and bringing a new vision and experience to our leadership. We also conquered a highly renowned reference shareholder through the investment fund managed by Starboard Private Equity, and announced a business combination with DBO, reinforcing the construction of a diversified and balanced portfolio between mature onshore and offshore oil and gas assets.
In the year of 2023, we have made many accomplishments. In the first quarter, the sale of the onshore assets in Brazil was completed and, in the second quarter, offshore assets were added in the same territory, upon the conclusion of our business combination with DBO. Through the transaction, we increased our reserves by 18.8 MMBOE – about the same level as before the sale of the onshore assets – at the same time as our cash balance increased substantially. We announced that 5 out of 8 wells drilled at Block 70 in Oman produced oil at an initial estimated average rate of 300 barrels of oil per day per well. These fundamental changes have meant that certain stakeholders have started talking about a “new Maha”. New or not – Maha Energy is in a strong financial position, ready to embark on a promising growth journey. That’s why we said that we had a promising start and there’s still more to come!
Strategy
Maha Energy focuses on leading the oil and gas recovery industry by developing and operating productive fields, maximizing value, driving profitability, and working ethically and responsibly to benefit all stakeholders. Our strategy is outlined according to three important pillars:
Opportunistic and Accretive Transactions
With the changes and transactions advanced by Maha during 2022, the Company has reinvented its journey, evolved to become an innovative and progressive energy platform designed to grow by profitably acquiring and developing producing oil and gas assets. Building on our industry expertise, capital discipline and local partnerships, we will target mature assets globally, focusing on fields with existing production but offering sizeable growth potential in production, reserves and cash flow with relatively low-capital expenditures, stable cash flow generation and with attractive entry acquisition prices.
Meet our Board
The Board is responsible for the strategy and organization of Maha and its affairs.
Svein Harald Øygard
Member of the Board of Directors since September 2023
Born 1960
Cand. Oecon from the University of Oslo, Economist.
Member of the Board of Directors since September 2023
Other assignments: Svein Harald Øygard holds several board positions, including being chair in Norwegian Air Shuttle since 2021 and as chair of DOF since 2023. He is also on the board of TGS-NOPEC.
Experience: Economist in the Ministry of Finance of Norway, as a secretary of the Committee of Fiscal affairs in the Norwegian Parliament, as economic advisor for the Labor Party and then as Deputy Minister of Finance of Norway, 1990-1994. Thereafter McKinsey Company for 21 years, largely in oil & gas, finance and industry, among others advising oil & gas companies in the North Sea, North America, the Mid-East, South-East Asia and West Africa. He also served as Country Manager Norway, as interim Central Bank Governor of Iceland after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and as Chair of the Execution Committee for the Icelandic bank restructuring. Co-founder of DBO Energy 2017 and in 2020 he co-founded Janeiro Energy, a venture fund investing into businesses in the renewables sector.
Previous assignments: He rejoined McKinsey, serving as Global Knowledge Leader Oil & Gas 2010-2014 and as leader of Oil & Gas in Latin America, based in Brazil, 2013-2016. He then worked as Senior Partner Corporate Finance in Sparebank1 Markets until mid-2021.
Independent in relation to the Company and the Company management: Yes.
Independent in relation to the major shareholders: No.
Holdings of shares in Maha: Svein Harald holds 3,024,406 shares in Maha directly. He also indirectly holds 1,374,434 shares in Maha through his investment company, Energy Investors AS (out of which 40,000 shares are currently lent out), and 7,312,199.33 shares in Maha indirectly through ownership of 1/3 of the shares in DBO Invest S.A.
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Halvard Idland
Member of the Board of Directors since 2023
Halvard Idland
Born 1975
M.Sc. in Economics and Business Administration from Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).
Member of the Board of Directors since March 2023
Other assignments: Co-founder and Director at DBO Invest and Janeiro Energy. Board member at Prosafe SE and 3R Offshore. Chairman of DreamLearnWork.
Previous assignments: Co-founder and CFO at DBO Energy and DBO 2.0. Audit committee member at 3R Petroleum.
Experience: Halvard Idland has more than 20 years of industrial and financial investment experience in the oil and gas industry in Norway and Brazil. Previous experience includes DNB, Pareto and Aker Yards prior to co-founding DBO Energy.
Independent of the Company and the senior management: Yes.
Independent of major shareholders: No. Halvard is Director at DBO Invest which is a major shareholder in the Company.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: Halvard holds 116,337 shares (BTA) in Maha.
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
Member of Audit Committee
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Viktor Modigh
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Viktor Modigh
Born 1980
Master of Law
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Other assignments: Viktor is currently the Managing Director of Tiveden AS and Chairman of Jumpgate AB, Minotaurus Energi AS and Urtiven AS.
Prior assignments (last five years): Not Applicable
Experience: Viktor holds a Master of Law from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden with a specialization in Petroleum Law and Petroleum Contracts from the University of Oslo, Norway. Viktor has worked as a lawyer advising primarily oil and gas companies on regulatory and contractual matters, transactions and general corporate law. He has more than 20 years´ experience of investments across different sectors and has held management positions with Tethys Oil in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Viktor is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators.
Independent of the Company and the senior management: Yes.
Independent of major shareholders: Yes.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
Member of Audit Committee
Member of Remuneration Committee
Member of Reserve & HSE Committee
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Richard Norris
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Richard Norris
Born 1966
PhD in Petroleum Engineering and an MSc in Petroleum Geology
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Other assignments: Richard is currently Managing Director of Pandreco Energy Advisors Inc
Previous assignments: Richard has worked in engineering, management and board roles covering Africa, Europe, Former Soviet Union and South America with BP, Elf Aquitaine/Total, Geopetrol, Candax Energy and Eland Oil and Gas. In finance Richard was instrumental in building the European oil and gas structured finance group at BNP Paribas. As a Partner at Helios Investment Partners, Richard co-managed Helios’s Private Equity energy investments throughout Africa
Experience: Richard holds a PhD in Petroleum Engineering and an MSc in Petroleum Geology from Imperial College in London as well as a BSc in Geology. Richard has over 30 years energy related experience in both industry and finance, including roles with large and small oil companies, as well as roles in debt and equity financing. Richard is a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Independent of the Company and the senior management: Yes.
Independent of major shareholders: Yes.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
Chairman of the HSE Reserve Committee
Member of the Audit Committee
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Enrique Peña
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Enrique Peña
Born 1974
Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Master in Infrastructure Management and Public Services and Master in Civil Engineering. The Wharton School of Business. University of Pennsylvania, Master in Business Administration (MBA).Universidad UNED-UJI, Master in Sustainability and Social Corporate Responsibility.
Member of the Board of Directors since May 2022
Other assignments: Deputy Director of the IE Negotiation and Mediation Center.
Prior assignments (last five years): Chief of Staff and Senior International Manager of Renfe.
Experience: Enrique Peña has over 23 years’ experience in business development and strategic management in large corporations such as Shell, Boston Consulting Group, Orange and Renfe. Enrique Peña is currently Deputy Director of the IE Negotiation and Mediation Centre and Professor of Strategy in IE University in Madrid, Spain
Independent of the Company and the senior management: Yes.
Independent of major shareholders: No.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
Chairman of the Audit Committee
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Paulo Thiago Mendonça
Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2023
Paulo Thiago Mendonça
Born 1988
Degree in Mechanical Engineering (cum laude) from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ).
Chairman of the Board of Directors since 2023 and member of the Board of Directors since 2022.
Other assignments: Managing Director of the Starboard Group
Prior assignments (last five years): Chairman and Board Member as well as Director of Business Development in 3R Petroleum. Head of Investment Banking at Brasil Plural´s Investment Banking division.
Experience: Paulo Thiago Mendonça is currently a Managing Director at Starboard, responsible for private equity investments and advisory in special situations transactions. Paulo has previously been the Head of Investment Banking at Brasil Plural’s Investment Banking division, responsible for M&A, equity and capital market transactions and worked at the Asset Management in Brasil Plural. Paulo has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry and has led important transactions in the sector.
Independent of the Company and the senior management: No.
Independent of major shareholders: No.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
Member of the Reserves and HSE Committee
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Fabio Vassel
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Fabio Vassel
Born 1976
Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Bachelor of Arts (BA) from the University of São Paulo (FEA-USP).
Member of the Board of Directors since 2022
Other assignments: Managing Director of the Starboard Group.
Previous assignments: Chairman of 3R Petroleum and Board Member of Gemini Energy.
Experience: Fabio Vassel has over 25 years of experience working on Private Equity buy-side and Restructuring Advisory in Latin America, North America and Europe. Fabio was previously Partner and Head of Restructuring & Private Equity at Brasil Plural. Fabio has experience from Jefferies (Zurich and London), Nomura (London) and UBS Investment Bank (New York and London).
Independent of the Company and the senior management: Yes.
Independent of major shareholders: No.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
Chairman of the Board of Directors & Chairman of Remuneration Committee
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Kjetil Solbraekke
CEO
Kjetil Solbraekke
Born 1962
Cand. Oecon from the University of Oslo, Economist.
CEO since September 2023
Previous assignments: CEO in Sintef do Brasil. Co-founder and CEO at DBO Energy and DBO 2.0. Board Member of 3R Petroleum.
Experience: Kjetil Solbraekke has over 30 years of experience from the Norwegian Oil and gas sector in various positions as Assistant director general in the Ministry of Petroleum in Norway, SVP and CFO in Norsk Hydro, CEO in Panoro Energy and Sintef do Brazil, Founder and CEO in DBO Energy. He has lived in Brazil since 2006.
Independent of the Company and the senior management: Yes.
Independent of major shareholders: No
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: Kjetil holds holds 216,337 shares in Maha.
Warrants in Maha Energy AB: 0
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Guilherme Guidolin de Campos
CFO
Guilherme Guidolin de Campos
Born 1981
Education: BSc exam in Industrial Engineering from the University of São Paulo
Chief Financial Officer since 2023
Other assignments: Executive Director of Starboard
Prior assignments (last five years): Guilherme has most recently held the position of Finance Director at Maha Energy (Oman) Ltd., co-leading the Omani organization and assisting the company with the execution of Maha’s relevant projects in the country. Guilherme has also held top management positions, such as CFO at Viracopos International Airport and Interim Project Head for BHP Billington Brazil.
Experience: .Guilherme has broad experience in Investment Banking, Restructuring, Executive Leadership and Strategy Consulting. During his 23 years of tenure, he has assisted top management of large multinational groups in a diverse array of industries such as oil&gas, mining, metals, chemicals, fertilizers, agribusiness, airlines & airports, retail, and financial services.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Options in Maha Energy AB: 0
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Barbara Bittencourt
Chief Legal Officer
Barbara Bittencourt
Born 1985
Specialization in Maritime Regulation and Ocean Management, Harvard University, Boston, USA (2018); LL.M in Oil and Gas from the University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland (2012); Bachelor of Laws from Universidade Milton Campos Law School, Brazil (2007).
Chief Legal Officer since 2023
Other current assignments: None
Prior assignments (last five years): Partner of Demarest Advogados (Brazilian top tier law firm); Senior Associate at Campos Mello Advogados in Cooperation with DLA Piper.
Experience: Ms. Bittencourt has over 15 years of experience within energy and natural resources, focusing her career on transactions and regulatory issues in the oil and gas industry. Before joining Maha, Barbara was a partner of the Brazilian law firm Demarest Advogados at their Energy and Natural Resources practice. Previously, Barbara was a Senior Associate of DLA Piper/Campos Mello Advogados. She holds a master’s degree in Oil and Gas from the University of Aberdeen (Scotland) and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Universidade Milton Campos (Brazil), and specialization in Maritime Regulation and Ocean Management from Harvard University.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Options in Maha Energy AB: 0
Barbara Bittencourt
Född 1985
Specialisering inom Maritime Regulation and Ocean Management vid Harvard University, Boston USA (2018); magisterexamen inom Olja och Gas vid University of Aberdeen i Skottland (2012); jur.kand-examen vid Universidade Milton Campos i Brasilien (2007)
Chief Legal Officer sedan 2023
Andra pågående uppdrag: Inga.
Tidigare uppdrag (de senaste fem åren): Partner på den brasilianska advokatbyrån Demarest Advogados; Senior Associate på DLA Piper/Campos Mello Advogados.
Erfarenhet: Barbara Bittencourt har över 15 års erfarenhet inom energi och naturresurser, med fokus på transaktioner och regulatoriska frågor inom olje- och gasindustrin. Innan hon anställdes på Maha var Barbara partner på den brasilianska advokatbyrån Demarest Advogados, där hon tjänstgjorde på avdelningen för energi och naturresurser. Barbara har tidigare varit Senior Associate på DLA Piper/Campos Mello Advogados. Hon har en magisterexamen inom Olja och Gas vid University of Aberdeen i Skottland och en jur.kand-examen vid Universidade Milton Campos i Brasilien, samt en specialisering inom Maritime Regulation and Ocean Management vid Harvard University.
Aktieinnehav i Maha Energy AB: 0
Teckningsoptioner (Warranter) i Maha Energy AB: 0
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Alan Johnson
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Alan Johnson
Born 1971
- Eng. (1st Class) (Hon)
Vice President Operations since 2019
Other current assignments: None
Prior assignments (last five years): Vice President, Asset Management at Gran Tierra Energy
Experience: Mr. Johnson holds 1st Class B. Eng. (Hons) from Heriot Watt University in Scotland. He is a senior oil and gas executive with more than 25 years of experience working internationally in Europe, Africa, North and South America and Australasia. His experience includes varied technical, managerial and executive roles in drilling, production, reservoir, reserves, corporate planning and asset management. Alan started his E&P career with Shell International in the Dutch North Sea. He then held positions of increasing responsibility with Shell Canada, APF Energy, Rockyview Energy, Delphi Energy, BG Australia and Caracal Energy. His last role was Vice President, Asset Management at Gran Tierra Energy managing their portfolio of assets in Colombia, Brazil and Peru. Alan is a Chartered Engineer in the UK.
Shareholding in Maha Energy AB: 0
Options in Maha Energy AB: 608,450
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