Manager Management

Resume of: Ian Blake. October ****

Ian Blake

P.O. Box 882 Direct Line: Switzerland (+41) (0-22-702-****

Kimberton Business E-Mail: abnicf@r.postjobfree.com

Pennsylvania 19442 Personal E-Mail: abnicf@r.postjobfree.com

USA

Qualified UK Chartered Accountant with extensive international experience and

with permanent residence in the USA.

Background:

My training and early career in public accounting has given me strong financial accounting and internal

control skills. A further 20+ years of experience, predominantly in the oil & gas industry, have built upon

this, and I now have significant knowledge and skills in most facets of finance and administration, both in

corporate headquarters situations, and in project and operating environments.

These experiences include business risk assessment and mitigation, planning, budgeting and economic

evaluations and decision making, banking relationships, cash flow and treasury management, systems

selection and implementation, asset and company acquisitions and divestitures, tax planning and

compliance, management reporting and analysis, external reporting and auditing requirements, and have

been gained in start up and fast growth situations, as well as during restructuring and downsizing.

I am able to select quality staff and build and lead effective teams. I am used to positioning finance as a

team player with other functions and operating management, in order to help the whole organization achieve

its’ goals. However, I am willing and able to defend principles of control and accountability when required

and am comfortable working at Board of Directors level.

Having lived and worked in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, United States of America, Latin America

and Switzerland, I am able to work effectively in multi-cultural and multi-ethnic teams and situations.

Employment History:

Addax Petroleum Corporation (current employer)

Position: General Manager, Finance & IT Period: Sept 2008 to present

Division: Corporate HQ, Geneva, Switzerland Total Reports: 160 Unit Revenues: $4.6 billion

Unit Description: Toronto Stock Exchange listed international independent oil & gas exploration company

with production and exploration activities in West Africa and the Middle East.

Duties: Immediate priority on joining was to engineer a rapid reduction in costs and cash outflows to ensure

a return to positive cash flow, despite the rapid fall in oil prices. Positive cash flow has been achieved since

May 2009. Major duties include leadership of the Finance, Tax and IT functions, managing those functions

directly in Geneva Corporate HQ and via Finance & IT managers in each operating subsidiary; ensuring

provision of all externally required financial and tax reporting under Canadian GAAP and managing the

transition to IFRS; quarterly Board presentations to obtain approval for and release of results to the Toronto

Stock Exchange; ownership of IT strategy for provision of all business and technical systems &

applications, hardware and network architecture; ensuring a robust internal control environment to allow

compliance with Canadian Sox requirements; short & medium term cash flow management and liaison with

the corporate finance team on financing matters and long term cash & debt requirements; timely delivery of

financial analysis to relevant management, enabling decision making and efficient use of resources; driving

timetables and processes for budgeting, forecasting and management reporting in relation to a $1.5 billion

annual capital expenditure program, $1.5 billion annual royalties & taxes expense and $1 billion annually in

operating costs, depreciation, staff costs/overheads; ensuring all revenue entitlements are correctly

accounted for and are collected timely.

Mission: Ensure CEO, COO, CFO, other senior management and the Board of Directors receive all

financial information and analysis with which to effectively manage the enterprise. Ensure enterprise has

appropriate, cost effective IT infrastructure & systems.

Resume of: Ian Blake. October 2009

BP plc: June 2000 to September 2008

Position: Corporate Financial Reporting Manager Period: Oct 2005 to Sept 2008

Division: BP Global Business Center, Sunbury, UK Total Reports: 70 Unit Revenues: $N/A

Unit Description: Manage the shared financial and management accounting group for BP plc corporate

centre comprising around 70 staff.

Duties: Lead a team of financial accountants and systems professionals. Partner with various outsource

providers as appropriate. Maintain an effective internal control environment.

Mission: To provide BP Corporate Centre and various BP businesses including E&P (Angola, Algeria,

Libya, TNK-BP, Azerbaijan) R&M (Fuels & Lubricants UK, Global Fuels Technology) and Alternative

Energy (Solar, Wind, Hydrogen, Biofuels) with high quality, cost competitive management reporting and

analysis, financial processing, and accounting services, while simultaneously providing staff with

development, training and further BP career opportunities.

Position: Global Mgr. Accounting Services Period: Apr. 2001 to Sept. 2005

Division: BP Global Business Center, London, UK Total Reports: 8 Unit Revenues: $N/A

Unit Description: Shared financial accounting group for BP plc corporate centre. A centre of expertise to

support BP business segments to negotiate and implement accounting outsourcing and implement systems.

Duties: Support implementation of new arrangements with outsourced accounting suppliers. Deliver major

systems implementation projects, including the global electronic employee expenses system (40,000 users,

25+ countries, annual throughput $700+ million) and migration from SUN accounting system to SAP.

Mission: To implement globally across BP, a common web based electronic employee expenses system

within budget and realizing the planned return on investment. Successful GL systems conversion for UK.

Position: Finance Integration Mgr. Period: June 2000 to Apr 2001

Division: BP Exploration Venezuela Total Reports: 10 Unit Revenues: $200 million

Unit Description: The combined Venezuela operations of BP Amoco and ARCO comprising 9 Operating

Service Agreements, 2 exploration blocks, 1 Extra-heavy oil project. Post merger the portfolio was

consolidated and reduced to 4 Operating Service Agreements.

Duties: Support negotiation process to divest 2 Operating Service Agreement projects to local investors.

Design post BP/ARCO finance organization and manage project to consolidate BP & ARCO accounting

organizations. Insourcing of activities previously outsourced to PwC.

Mission: Realize maximum sales proceeds and minimize post disposal obligations relating to divested

properties. Design and implement a fit for purpose, lower cost controller organization for BPX Venezuela.

Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO): May 1989 to June 2000

Position: Seconded Finance & Planning Mgr. Period: Feb. 1999 to May 2000

Division: Inemaka, Venezuela Total Reports: 20 Unit Revenues: $150 million

Unit Description: Joint Venture Company established by ARCO and local Venezuelan partners to pursue

projects reserved to Venezuelan operating companies.

Duties: Primarily conducting business in Spanish - staff recruitment, selection and training to build a local

finance team from scratch., initial selection and implementation of financial systems, development and

implementation of financial policies and controls, project economic evaluations, budgeting and long range

planning, US & local tax compliance and planning, management reporting and analysis, information

systems strategy, external SEC and local financial reporting requirements, internal controls, external audit

liaison, contracting, banking relationships, cash flow management, telecommunications, office

administration

Mission: To build, with local partners, a finance organisation staffed entirely by local hires, capable of

supporting a business investing $200 to $300 million over 5 years, to achieve a goal of at least 15% ROCE.

Resume of: Ian Blake. October 2009

Position: Country Business Manager, Venezuela Period: Oct 1997 to Jan. 1999

Division: International Oil & Gas, Latin America Total Reports: 9 Unit Revenues: $800 million

Unit Description: New division entering Latin America in order to develop an upstream oil and gas

exploration & production business capable of contributing at least $100MM net income within 3 to 5 years

Duties: Project economic evaluations, budgeting and long range planning, US & local tax compliance and

planning, management reporting and analysis, Information systems strategy, external SEC and local

financial reporting requirements, internal controls, external audit liaison, contracting, banking relationships,

cash flow management, telecommunications, office administration

Mission: To build from scratch, a world class finance organization capable of supporting a business

investing $2 to $3 billion over the next 5 years, and achieve a goal of at least 15% ROCE

Position: Director, Internal Audit Period: Sep. 1995 to Sep. 1997

Division: Chemicals, Philadelphia USA Total Reports: 16 Unit Revenues: $4 billion

Unit Description: Worldwide manufacture and sale of intermediate chemicals and polymers, research into

new processes and products.

Duties: Advise Board of this NYSE quoted company on risks and exposures facing the company and

methods to mitigate them, plan and execute reviews of control systems and provide results and

recommendations to the Main Board Audit Committee, maintain awareness of developing audit techniques,

liaison with external auditors

Mission: Ensure Company has systems of control, at acceptable cost, to assure effectiveness and efficiency

of operations, reliability of financial reporting and compliance with applicable laws and regulations

Position: Country Finance Manager, Algeria Period: Feb. 1995 to Aug. 1995

Division: International Oil & Gas, Algeria Total Reports: 3 Unit Revenues: $500 million

Unit Description: Take over operatorship of existing producing oil fields from Sonatrach and repressurize

to increase production rates and improve reserves recovery.

Duties: Represent ARCO in joint venture negotiations, plan success case finance organization to be jointly

staffed by local Algerians and expatriate rotators, with goal to nationalize workforce as soon as practical.

Supervise all cost tracking and reporting through negotiations stage. Liaise with economic evaluation team

Mission: Obtain access to oil & gas fields for reactivation. Plan and build a finance organization capable of

taking over operations from Sonatrach and of supporting intensive drilling and compression project. Move

to new assignment when negotiations stalled.

Position: Operations & Marketing Finance Manager Period: Oct. 1992 to Jan. 1995

Division: International Oil & Gas, U.K. Total Reports: 14 Unit Revenues: $500 million

Unit Description: Explore for, develop, produce and market oil & gas in the UK, Netherlands, German and

Irish sectors of the North Sea

Duties: Represent ARCO in joint venture negotiations, provide due diligence for asset or corporate

acquisitions, manage revenue collection and contract compliance for 17 oil & gas fields, financial analysis

and advice to Operations & Exploration Directors & their organizations

Mission: Support drive towards being the safest, lowest cost, and most profitable operator in the North Sea,

provide quality financial analysis and advice to Operations, Drilling, Engineering and Exploration Depts.

Position: Financial Accounting & Internal Control Mgr. Period: May 1989 to Sep. 1992

Division: International Oil & Gas, U.K. Total Reports: 6 Unit Revenues: $500 million

Unit Description: Explore for, develop, produce & market oil & gas in the UK, Netherlands, German and

Irish sectors of the North Sea

Duties: Implement Oracle financial systems, ongoing systems development, cash flow management,

external (SEC., U.K., and European) financial reporting, management information and analysis, internal

controls & joint venture audits, liaison with external auditors

Resume of: Ian Blake. October 2009

Mission: Modernize financial reporting and analysis tools to enhance the quality and timeliness of

management decision making, safeguard company assets with appropriate systems of internal controls and

joint venture audits.

Prudential Assurance Co.

Position: Acquisitions Manager Period: Aug. 1, 1987 to Apr. 30, 1989

Division: Real Estate, U.K. Total Reports: 0 Unit Revenues: $2 billion

Unit Description: Largest provider of life assurance, and largest investor on the Stock Exchange in the UK.

Duties: Develop strategy for profitable expansion of a network of real estate brokerage offices. Determine

by geographic location whether acquisition or start up preferred. Identify acquisition targets, perform due

diligence, negotiate deal, obtain board approval, integrate acquired business into existing business systems

and processes

Mission: Develop network of real estate brokerages which, while profitable on their own, would provide

cross selling opportunities for insurance and investment products, and access to a new customer base.

Ernst & Young

Position: Audit Manager Period: Sep. 1, 1984 to Jul. 30, 1987

Division: Middle East Practice, Dubai, UAE. Total Reports: 6 Unit Revenues: $10 million

Unit Description: Provide accounting, audit and consultancy services to a range of international (U.S.,

European and local Arab) clients from various industries

Duties: Manage a portfolio of clients providing audit, accounting and consulting services to oil & gas,

banking, construction and other industry companies, train and mentor less experienced staff

Mission: Generate fee income growth and net income by efficiently providing high quality services to

existing clients, and generating new business

Grant Thornton

Position: Trainee Accountant/Audit Senior Period: Aug. 1, 1980 to Aug. 31, 1984

Division: United Kingdom Practice Total Reports: various Unit Revenues: various

Unit Description: Provide audit, tax and accounting services to a range of public company, private

company and individual clients from various industries

Duties: Client services including accounts preparation, audited financial statements, tax returns, planning

and supervising audit assignments

Mission: Gain professional CPA qualification; obtain broad business experience and training.

Education:

10 ‘O’ Levels and 4 ‘A’ Levels (British education system)

Commerce (Economics/Finance) Degree (2:1), University of Birmingham, England

Successful application to London Business School for Executive MBA program, commencing January 1995

(GMAT 670). Place not taken up on the program due to job promotion to the USA.

Certifications:

Member of the English Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW).

Languages:

English (Native language), Spanish (Fluent), French (basic)

Outside Interests:

Scuba Diving (qualified sports diver); Golf

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