Programme

Michael Webb,
Managing Director, Financial
Sector Development and Policy
QFC Regulatory Authority
Mr. Webb is a graduate in
law of Victoria University
of Wellington. Prior to the
QFCRA, Mr. Webb was
a leading New Zealand
commercial barrister
specializing in securities,
banking, corporate, insolvency
and public regulatory law,
acting in advisory, contentious business, and
transactional matters. He has been closely
involved in financial markets, corporate and
insolvency law development and reform. He has
also acted in lead legal roles in regulatory regimes
for the electricity and telecommunications sectors.
From 1992 to 2003 he was a member, and
variously acting Chairman of the New Zealand
Securities Commission. Other appointments
have included being a director of significant New
Zealand and Australian companies and, recently,
Chair of the Ministerial Task Force on Financial
Intermediaries in New Zealand.
Esa Ikaheimonen
Vice President Finance and
Planning, Shell Qatar
Esa Ikaheimonen joined Shell
in 1990 after completing his
Law degree from University
of Turku in Finland and after
a short-lived career in legal
practice. He held a couple
of positions in Shell Finland
and Shell Scandinavia before
moving to Shell UK Exploration
and Production in Aberdeen 1995 where he held
a position as Head of Planning and Analysis.
From Scotland he was posted back to Finland,
where he worked first as the country Finance
Manager and thereafter as Scandinavian Finance
Manager between 1998 and 2001. Esa then
moved to Shell Europe Oil Products in London
and worked in Strategy and Portfolio until June
2004 as Portfolio Director responsible for Strategy
and Portfolio in Central, Eastern and Southern
Europe. During that period Shell made numerous
portfolio deals across Europe and significantly
restructured its downstream businesses.
Esa still recalls deal making in countries like Italy,
Turkey and Poland as one of the highlights in his
career so far. In June 2004, Esa joined Shell Gas
and Power as Finance and Commercial Director
for the Pearl GTL Project. Following the successful
conclusion of the Development and Production
Sharing Agreement (DPSA) negotiations, Esa
moved to Doha to the newly formed Qatar Shell
GTL Ltd, which is tasked with the execution and
operation of the Pearl GTL project. In addition, he
is Country Finance Director for Shell in Qatar.