Q&A with Pål Rasmussen and Luis Bertrán Rafecas

x Pål and Luis have been

working closely to ensure the smooth transfer of the Secretariat from Oslo to Barcelona.

The IGU Secretariat is moving from Norway to Spain and the new Secretary General, Luis Bertrán Rafecas will take over from Pål Rasmussen on November 1. To mark the changeover, the IGU Magazine asked Pål about the major developments during his tenure and Luis about the challenges going forward.

Pål, since taking over from Torstein as Secretary General in December 2014 you have had an action-packed schedule. Could you give us the highlights of the Secretariat’s work over the last two years?

I would like to specially mention: (1) the Building for the Future Project (BFTF); (2) the increased engagement with international policymakers in arenas such as the G20, COP and IEA; and (3) the development of the external advocacy efforts of IGU.

But I want to start by thanking all the staff involved in the work of the Secretariat who have really delivered their best over the last two

years. Without their support all the changes we have initiated, along with our day-to-day operations, would not have been possible.

At the time I moved into the Oslo offices as Deputy Secretary General in early 2014, there was a lot of focus on improving IGU’s advocacy efforts. Following wide-ranging discussions, especially with David Carroll and Mel Ydreos, we decided to raise the bar and to take a broader approach. It was decided to gather several important strategic issues under the umbrella of BFTF. ◆ The Building for the Future project was established and divided into three phases.

There was discussion of a fourth phase, which would have covered e-learning/ education, but in the end we kept to three.

Phase I was based on a clear message from our members to increase the focus on external advocacy. We started off by revising the Vision and Mission of IGU and developing a sustainable means of financing gas advocacy work by introducing a new structure of membership fees together with a new category of Premium Associate

Member. The eligibility for Associate membership was widened and a strategy for strategic partnerships developed. Then, in Phase II, we looked at the conference portfolio and saw the need to strengthen

IGU’s involvement in the planning and execution of the events as they are a major source of future income. Knowledge transfer was a key element in Phase II, which was approved at the Executive Committee meeting in Durban in April 2016. We are now working on the future governance of

IGU under Phase III.

Improving our relationship with identified strategic partners is an important part of our efforts to advance gas as a key contributor to a sustainable energy future, following the Paris

COP 21 agreement. And we need to ensure that IGU is present in energy arenas such as the G20, COP, IEA and others. The G20 Natural

Gas Day (June 2016) is a recent example of what we can achieve via strategic partnerships.

I would also like to mention our improved external advocacy efforts targeting the media and different energy arenas. This is truly a highlight of the last two years.

But this is just the start. All of this work will be carried on and improved by future Presidencies and Secretariats.

Pål, a close working relationship between the Presidency and the Secretariat underpins IGU’s activities. How has this relationship developed during your term?

All governance and work processes of IGU are, and should be, developed and matured over time. The way IGU is organised is like a relay, one Presidency taking over from the last, one Secretariat handing over to the next. All countries involved contribute positively during their term to the evolution of the Union. When the USA Presidency began in June 2015, David Carroll and I decided to bring the two governing bodies even closer together, and now we truly work as one entity. My evaluation is that this has taken IGU one step forward.

I hope BFTF Phase III will result in the governance changes that IGU needs. Should we get an approval at the Council meeting in Tokyo in October 2017, the relationship between the Presidency and the Secretariat will, once again, have to be re-evaluated.

Pål, now that you are handing over to Luis what are your plans for the future?

First of all I will spend some time with my wife, Anna Kari, who has been very supportive (and very patient) during the last three years. After that I will make sure that the “lights are turned off” in a proper way in the Oslo office.

Regarding new tasks I have to say that so far my entire focus has been on IGU, on all the ongoing tasks and of course the transfer of the Secretariat to Spain. Only recently have I begun to think about my next moves. The starting point is that I am going back to Gassco A/S, who kindly made it possible for me to contribute to IGU by agreeing to my secondment. However, I have been asked by the new IGU management to continue IGU’s important relationship with the G20. I am also looking at possible areas of cooperation with Norwegian energy entities, and there might be opportunities internationally.

Time will show and I wish IGU all the best for the future.

Luis, you started work in the Secretariat in Oslo in February. How have your preparations for the handover gone?

Well, really I started in December 2014 when I became Deputy Secretary General. I participated in the Building for the Future working group, preparing the changes under Phase I and then Phase II. In September 2015, my company Gas Natural Fenosa appointed me to IGU full time. Thus, I had greater involvement in the BFTF project, both in the decisions taken and their implementation. We decided to implement the new membership fee structure of Phase I in two stages, with 100% of the new fees becoming due from 2017. Phase II was approved during the Executive Committee meeting in April in Durban and is now being implemented to give us greater control over strategic policy, branding and the programmes of the flagship IGU events. The new position of Event Director has been created and we are working closely with the National Organising Committees of the events to ensure their successful development.

When I came to Oslo, I left a team in Barcelona preparing the Spanish office and support faciliies and the procedure for the transfer of responsibilities. I have been managing this while

working in the current Secretariat. My experience in Oslo has been extremely valuable and the Norwegian team has given us their full support.

I would like to highlight the fact that Gas Natural Fenosa seconded Antonia Fernández Corrales as Advisor to the Secretariat in October 2015 to gain experience prior to the transfer to Spain. This has been another important factor contributing to a smooth transition.

And finally, as part of the transition, I have taken the role of leading BFTF Phase III, which is looking at IGU’s governance. The aim is to ensure that we can continue improving the performance of the Union and delivering a high-level service to members.

Luis, could you introduce your team in the Barcelona Secretariat to us?

The team in Barcelona will continue to be an international one. As I said, Antonia Fernández Corrales will remain as Chief Adviser. This month, Rafael Huarte Lázaro has joined the IGU team full time as Director. Rafael Huarte is an engineer with an MBA and has a wide gas industry experience having worked in different parts of the value chain. He has international experience in business, strategy and development and has served as a member of the board of the Spanish gas association Sedigas. Also this month, Luisa Peris Meléndez has joined the IGU team as Executive Assistant. Luisa Peris has a degree in business management and a postgraduate degree in computing and multimedia. She has wide experience as a project manager working in areas including accounts, financial planning and retail and she also has international experience.

From Norway, Anette Sørum Nordal, who joined the Secretariat in 2013, will transfer to Barcelona to continue her role as Information Consultant and Secretary of the Coordination Committee. This will ensure good coordination with the USA Presidency.

From Korea, Taeksang Kwon, who was seconded to the Secretariat by KOGAS in 2015, will also transfer over. As Advisor and latterly Senior Advisor, Taeksang’s IGU experience includes the management of important projects such as the Gas Competence Seminar in Mozambique in September 2015. KOGAS is preparing to send Hyunchang Kim, with a degree in economics, as another secondee to the Barcelona office.

I would like to thank KOGAS for supporting the secondment programme which is of great benefit to IGU, the young people involved and their companies. The programme offers career development and a wider understanding of the international gas industry for the secondees, and adds to the workforce capacity of the Secretariat.

And finally there is Rodney Cox the IGU Event Director who, although he is not based in the Secretariat, will report to me as Secretary General and collaborate closely with the Barcelona team.

Luis, what do you see as the challenges for IGU going forward?

The main challenge is to continue the evolution of IGU through the BFTF project. As I explained, we will complete the implementation of Phase I in 2017 and with the full new fees we will further improve the service we offer to members and develop a new marketing plan. Secondly, under Phase II, we will continue to develop the IGU event portfolio, ensuring that IGU maintains best practices for event management. We will also continue developing relationships with strategic partners such as the World Bank, UN, etc. Thirdly, we will review the governance of IGU under BFTF Phase III to enhance the Union’s activities and performance as we advocate for natural gas as a key contributor to a sustainable energy future.

In parallel, we will ensure a smooth transfer of the Secretariat to Barcelona, prepare for the change of Presidency in 2018 after WGC 2018 in Washington DC and fully support the current USA and the next Korean Presidencies.