Gasal Board of Directors

Academic & Professional Qualifications: 

BSc in Petroleum Engineering, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, 1989

Work Experiences & current responsibilities:  

Over 31 years experience in the oil & gas industry mainly working for QatarEnergy (Formerly Qatar Petroleum). Extensive experience in leading specialized hydrocarbon development teams. Strong managerial and leadership skills. Lead an organization consist of over 100 culturally diverse professionals responsible for optimizing oil & gas development projects and supporting field operational activities.

Direct, coordinate and manage the prudent development and re-development of QatarEnergy’s operated onshore fields which includes objective setting, strategy formulation, plan development and redevelopment, implementation, monitoring and reporting of developed reserves and discovered undeveloped hydrocarbon reserves.

Maximise economic recovery from hydrocarbon resources by ensuring that the multiple reservoirs are being effectively managed and performance is optimised with sound geophysical, geological, petrophysical, reservoir and production engineering principles.

Vice-Chairman

Since 2008 he is handling QIMC Group’s Operation Function by providing leadership to all aspects of financial stewardship, budgeting, financial analysis, resource procurement, operational analysis. Responsible for all financial, administration and HR matters including banking relations, cash management, insurance, accounting, budgeting & forecasting and selection of company's group health insurance plan, enforce accounting policies and procedures to ensure efficiency.

After his graduation, Aktham Yousef M.J. Al-Baqali joined Qatar’s Ministry of Economy & Commerce as a Financial Researcher. Until date, Aktham Al-Baqali held several major business positions and he is an esteemed Chairman and Board Director in much successful companies; Qatar Acids Company, National Paper Industries Co. Gulf Formaldehyde Co. Qatar Aluminium Extrusion Co. (QALEX), Tarweej (QIMC’s Real Estate Directorate), Gulf Glass Factory (Zujaj), United Chemicals Co (UC), National Food Co (NAFCO)

Mathieu Français joined Air Liquide in 1999 and currently serves as Vice President Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and CEO of Air Liquide Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this role, he oversees operations across Air Liquide subsidiaries in the GCC and Kazakhstan.

With over 25 years of international experience in the chemical industry, Mathieu has held various senior leadership roles within the Group, gaining expertise in executive management, global operations, and large-scale project delivery. His career reflects a strong focus on driving growth, operational excellence, marketing and strategic innovation across complex business environments.

Mathieu holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering & Management from Grenoble INP-UGA, France, and an Engineering Degree from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany.

Laurent Valentin currently serves as Group Corporate Finance Vice President for the Air Liquide Group, overseeing the financing of operations and investments across more than 60 countries. In this role, Laurent is responsible for managing the group’s financial strategies, including country and counterparty risk management, through a centralised team in France and regional centres in Houston, USA, and Shanghai, China.

Laurent began his career in banking with JP Morgan Chase before joining General Electric Capital in 2000, where he held senior roles, including Head of Project and Export Finance for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region and Global Leader for project financing partnerships. He joined Air Liquide in 2020 as Director of Structured Finance, contributing significantly to the group’s financial strategy.

French national Laurent holds an MBA from the University of Hartford, USA.

Monica Varagnat was appointed to the Gasal Board of Directors in 2023 bringing decades of business development and commercial management expertise to Gasal.

Monica began her career as an R&D Project Manager at ArcelorMittal before joining Air Liquide in 2011 as an Industrial Project Manager for the Large Industry business line.

She held various positions in Business Development and Commercial Management in France, managing a commercial portfolio with an annual turnover of approximately €500 million as Commercial Director and leading an investment portfolio of energy transition projects of more than €1 billion. In 2022, she moved to the Group Head Office to help shape the Group's strategic vision. Since July 2023, she has been Vice President of the Large Industries Business Line for the Africa, Middle-East, and India HUB.

She is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique (Paris, France) and holds a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA).

Ali Ahmed A. El Ghadi, Board Secretary and Finance Manager of GASAL. He relocated to Qatar in 1994 and served finance department then moved to the position as a trading manager of reputed companies in Qatar. In 2000, Ali joined Qatar Nitrogen Company (50:50 owned by QatarEnergy (Formerly Qatar Petroleum) and QIMC) as Board Secretary. He was then transferred to GASAL right upon its establishment in 2006. El Ghadi Holds B. Sc. (Honors) in Economics (1984 University of Gezira /Sudan and Master Degree in Planning (1993 University of Khartoum)).