Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan - September 23, 2009, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan - Roxi Petroleum plc, an oil exploration and development company, announces the appointment of David Lawson Wilkes ACA, as Group Finance Director, effective October 1.
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Mr. Wilkes is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ACA) since 1989 and holds a Bachelor’s Honours Degree (Business). He joins Roxi from Ernst & Young where he was a partner in the Almaty office and was most recently the partner responsible for the advisory services in Kazakhstan and global service partner for ENRC Plc. Mr. Wilkes has more than 25 years commercial experience, including eight years as partner of Ernst & Young (Kazakhstan), a partner for two years of Ernst & Young (Lisbon) and a partner for one year of Ernst & Young (Moscow) where he acted for TNK-BP as client service partner.
Mr. Wilkes took responsibility as Country Managing Partner for running the Ernst & Young Office in Kazakhstan in 1997. His responsibilities included developing the office, operations, people and market presence for Kazakhstan as well as to develop their oil & gas focus. He was instrumental in winning the Kazmunaigas (then Kazakhoil) account in early 1998 and worked as client service audit partner on this account until 2006. He managed the integration of Ernst & Young and Arthur Andersen in Kazakhstan, when they merged in 2002 across the CIS. During his term the Ernst & Young office grew from 25 professionals to a firm of over 400 professionals, including 14 partners, serving some of the leading enterprises in Kazakhstan, including KMG E&P, Kazakhmys and ENRC.
Mr. Wilkes has acted as audit partner for a number of smaller onshore exploration companies operating in Kazakhstan including Karakudukmunai, Kazakhoil Aktobe, Zhaikmunai and TenginzChevroil’s operation at Tengiz. He is also involved with some of the PSA consortium’s in Kazakhstan, such as OKIOC (now Kashagan operation or KCO) and Shell Temir operation. ■
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