Six international project financiers working in the region: Jonathan Robinson; Christophe Mariot; Ravi Suri; Bill Appleby; Peter Goodall, Frank Beckers
Jonathan Robinson
Position Head of project finance, HSBC
Biography Jonathan Robinson joined the UK’s HSBC in 2004 and is currently head of project finance for the bank’s Middle East and North Africa team, one of the largest project finance teams in the region. He has worked for 15 years as a project finance specialist, and for the last seven years has been based in the Middle East, doing projects for the government and the private sector. Currently based in Dubai, Robinson and the HSBC team have worked on some of the region’s most significant project finance deals, including advising Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority on its successful independent water and power project programme. He is currently involved in advising Dubai Electricity and Water Authority on its first independent power scheme. Previously, Robinson has held senior project finance positions within the US’ PricewaterhouseCoopers Securities and Canada’s Export Development Corporation.
Contact Tel: (+971) 6 0054 0004
Christophe Mariot
Position Regional head of structured finance, BNP Paribas
Biography Christophe Mariot has been based in the Middle East region for the past 13 years. He moved to Bahrain in 1998 to take up his current position as regional head of structured finance with France’s BNP Paribas. Previously, Mariot was regional head of structured finance based in Jakarta. He joined the bank in 1991 in London. Since relocating to the Gulf, Mariot has worked on many significant transactions. He is currently advising the Kuwaiti government on the development of the country’s first independent water and power project. Mariot has also worked on the Shams 1 project in Abu Dhabi, the largest solar power scheme in the Middle East. He is also involved in other projects in the refining, industry and social infrastructure sectors. Mariot holds a master’s degree in business administration in finance from Paris-based Ecole Superieure de Commerce.
Contact Tel: (+973) 17 866 666
Ravi Suri
Position Managing director, regional head of project and export finance, Standard Chartered
Biography Ravi Suri was responsible for setting up the UK-based Standard Chartered’s regional project and export finance unit in the Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia (EMEASA) regions in 2002. He now has a team of about 45 people covering the wider EMEASA region, and has been personally involved in some of the largest deals across the power, aluminium, refining and infrastructure sectors. Prior to joining the UK lender, Suri was senior vice president for integrated energy with Dutch bank ABN Amro in Hong Kong, and also set up the bank’s structured finance unit in India. He has a post graduate degree in chemical engineering from North Western University in the US. Suri has also completed executive programmes at Oxford University in the UK and Harvard University in the US.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 508 3625
Bill Appleby
Position Head of infrastructure and energy finance, Citigroup
Biography Bill Appleby has been head of the US’ Citigroup’s infrastructure and energy finance division for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions since 2009. He previously specialised in the power and water sectors. He has over 15 years of experience in the structured and project finance sector, working as both a financial adviser and lender on transactions in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Oman. Appleby is currently acting as adviser to the Saudi Electricity Company on its independent power project (IPP) programme, which has already led to the successful award, financing and beginning of development of several IPPs in Saudi Arabia. He has also worked for the UAE’s Emirates Aluminium on the first phase development of its Taweelah aluminium complex. Appleby previously worked at the UK’s HSBC, where he was director of project and export finance.
Contact Tel: (+44) 20 7986 4000
Peter Goodall
Position Head of project finance, Credit Agricole
Biography Peter Goodall has been the global head of natural resources since 2008 at France’s Credit Agricole, within the natural resources, infrastructure and power group. He is responsible for the bank’s operations in project finance, structured commodity finance, and reserve-based lending worldwide. Before this, Goodall was responsible for the bank’s Paris-based project finance group, covering natural resources, power, and infrastructure projects in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. During his time in the project finance market, he has worked with project sponsors including Qatar-based Qatar Petroleum and Qatargas, and French firms Bouygues and Total. Most recently, the Credit Agricole team has acted as a financial adviser on the $14bn Jubail refinery developed by Saudi Aramco and Total. Goodall has over 25 years’ experience in banking, and has worked in Brazil, the UK and Portugal.
Contact Tel: (+ 33) 1 41 89 00 00
Frank Beckers
Position Managing director and head of project and capital advisory, Deutsche Bank
Biography Frank Beckers joined Germany’s Deutsche Bank in 1998 and has about 17 years’ experience in lending to projects and advising sponsors on project finance transactions. He has worked in different sectors including transport, defence, energy and telecoms, with sponsors from around the region, and is responsible for the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific region. Before joining Deutsche Bank, Beckers worked for German Investment and Development Company where he focused on long-term project finance in emerging markets including South America, Africa and Asia. Currently, he and the bank’s project finance team are involved in advising several sponsors on financing for projects across the Middle East. Beckers studied economics, finance and international management at Germany’s University of Cologne and Pennsylvania State University in the US.
Contact Tel: (+971) 4 428 3224
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