In-House Staff
With offices in both Dallas and London, IEN has access to industry professionals, including geologists, financial, marketing, and administrative personnel. Key management includes:
London Office:
Chris Tate, Managing Director of International Energy Network Europe
Ms Nino Benashvili, Vice President and Director, International Energy Network Inc.
Dallas Office:
Rod MacLean, President of International Energy Network Inc.
Ronald Tharp, CFO of International Energy Network Inc.
London Office
Chris Tate , Managing Director of IEN Europe
Mr. Tate has 30 years of experience working across the oil and gas industry. Beginning in the late 1970s, and after qualifying as a Petroleum Geologist from Imperial College, he first worked for Sigma Exploration Ltd. of London, an oil company that specialized in locating European investors and joining them to qualified oil operators in the USA. Over $30 million was successfully raised and invested. Mr. Tate was intimately involved in the process of Sigma Exploration becoming a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange in the mid 1980s.
Upon completing his MBA from City University in 1988, Chris joined MacLean and Associates, a forerunner of IEN. Together with Rod MacLean, he conducted seminars and conferences on capital formation for the oil industry in both Europe and the USA. Between 1996 and 2003, Mr. Tate was involved in recruiting oil industry professionals to work on energy projects located virtually anywhere in the world. After a period working on his own investment activities, Mr. Tate was asked by Mr. MacLean to work with him again at IEN to head up the London office.
Ms Nino Benashvili , Vice President and Director, International Energy Network Inc
Ms Benashvili graduated from the Technical University of Georgia; she has a Bachelor degree with honors in chemical engineering. Ms Benashvili's previous experience in the oil and gas industry was with a Georgian company in the following positions: Head of Analytical Department, Deputy Director of Trading, Advisor of first Deputy General Director, Head of Logistics and Gas Registration Department, Head of Quality Management Departments and General Director Advisor, from 2003 to 2009.
With her impressive background in engineering and multi-lingual capability, Ms. Benashvili has proved to be a major addition to IEN`s resources. Originally assigned to the London office (IEN Ltd) as Director of European business development, she developed strong relationships between IEN and numerous investment firms in the Europe. Subsequently she was transferred to the headquarters of IEN in the US, where she was promoted to Vice president and a Director of the firm.
Her responsibilities include hiring and training others to expand IEN`s network of capital sources in Europe. Ms. Benashvili has had a key part in several successful US projects. She also functions in the due diligence process in approving oil and gas Operators in the US.
Dallas Office
Rod MacLean , President, International Energy Network Inc.
In 1985, Mr. MacLean founded MacLean & Associates for the purpose of offering capital formation consulting services to various oil and gas independent operators and private investors. Mr. MacLean has experience in capital formation for oil and gas exploration and development both in the United States and in Europe, for oil and gas ventures primarily based in North America. Since 1994, Mr. MacLean has also offered his services under MacLean International Energy Network, and a successor corporation, Contact Services, Inc., a Texas corporation. He has either presided over or spoken at a number of domestic and international forums and conferences relating to the oil and gas industry and has performed consulting services for oil and gas companies ranging from small or medium sized independent oil and gas producers to large public or independent companies.
Ronald L. Tharp, Chief Financial Officer, International Energy Network Inc.
Mr. Tharp is a graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Business and Public Administration in 1979. He secured licensing as a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas in 1983. Both prior to, during, and after his university attendance, Mr. Tharp was employed by the Dallas accounting firm of McKinnon and Armstrong from the period 1974 through 1985, where he practiced public accounting.
Since 1985, Mr. Tharp has been employed in capacities of controller and treasurer for a number of Dallas companies engaged in oil and gas development and exploration, including Atlas Energy Corporation from 1985 to 1986, Majestic Petroleum Corporation from 1986 to 1995, and LTA Resources Corporation from 1994 to 1998. In 1986 and 1987 he was briefly employed by the professional indoor soccer team of Dallas, the Dallas Sidekicks. Mr. Tharp formed his own public accounting practice in 1993, which he has maintained since that date.
