Stirling Infrastructure’s Investment and Advisory Board consists of members who have:
Michael Stirling is the Chairman of the Investment and Advisory Board. Michael has over 25 years of experience in investment banking, economics and law. He oversees the firm’s international expansion and client activities. He leads the review of investment propositions and uses his global network of contacts to add value by connecting investors and businesses. Michael is an experienced corporate finance lawyer and M&A transactions specialist. Collectively with the fellow members of the Investment and Advisory Board, Michael determines which investments are suitable for the firm to advise on for both capital raising and M&A transactions.
Chris Durman is based in London and is Chief Operating Officer for the firm. He has broad experience in managing complex projects and building and developing teams in large organisations. He is an expert in the international energy sector, with a particular focus on renewables, natural gas and LNG markets in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Before joining Stirling Infrastructure, Chris led the global LNG and European gas and power analytics teams at S&P Global Platts, delivering commercially valuable insights to clients across the power and gas market value chains. Previously, Chris held a number of senior roles at Centrica Plc - a FTSE 100 company with international interests in the energy sector. As head of analytics, Chris led the creation and development of energy market models and price forecasts in support of Centrica’s M&A activities and strategy development. Chris is a frequent speaker and panellist on the conference circuit and has also supported client forums and investor relations round tables.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh and a Master of Science in Climate and Meteorology from the University of Reading.
Paul Audu is based in London and is a member of the Advisory Board. He has held many senior positions in the pensions industry for more than 25 years and is an expert in pensions investment. His role involves assisting large pension funds to develop and implement their investment strategies and selecting fund managers and overseeing their investment programme. He has a proven track record of managing investments, diverse relationships and corporate governance for pension schemes.
Paul has worked in both public and private sector financial services, including FTSE 100 companies during his career and is a multiple award-winner in pension fund investment. Paul also worked as a Senior Investment Consultant at HSBC Actuaries and Consultants and was Head of Investment at three public sector pension funds.
Paul holds a BSc (Econ) in Financial Economics and a Postgraduate Certificate in Accounting and Management from the University of London. He has also completed a postgraduate certificate programme in Public Finance and Leadership from Warwick Business School.
Victoria is a member of the Advisory Board and she supports the firm’s relationships with institutional investors including sovereign wealth funds. She also works at the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF) as Director of Strategy and Communications. The IFSWF is a global network of sovereign wealth funds with members from 40 countries. Victoria has trusted relationships with sovereign wealth funds and her work includes knowledge-sharing, research and networking activities related to all aspects of investment strategies and corporate governance.
Victoria is a recognised author and commentator on sovereign wealth funds. In 2012, she founded the Sovereign Wealth Center, an online provider of data and analysis about sovereign wealth funds, now part of Institutional Investor’s Sovereign Investor Institute. Before joining IFSWF, Victoria was Director of Investec Asset Management’s Investment Institute, which was responsible for the firm’s thought leadership. She started her career as senior analyst in the Office of the Chairman at Monitor Group, a strategy consultancy now part of Deloitte.
Victoria earned a PhD in History from Pembroke College, University of Cambridge. She also has a BA (Hons) and MA with distinction in History from the University of Durham.
Don Kern is based in Houston, Texas and is a member of the Advisory Board. He has an extensive background in the energy industry, specifically in leading major energy related commercial transactions in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Don has had a long and distinguished career with Chevron. He played a major role in Chevron’s corporate business development efforts and has been an officer and director of various Chevron affiliates. His responsibilities included the execution of Chevron’s major worldwide commercial transactions including commercial agreements for some of the world’s largest energy projects. He has broad experience in transactions such as divestitures, acquisitions, mergers, production sharing contracts, joint venture formations, operating agreements and commercial disputes. He has also been responsible for completing foundation commercial agreements for major LNG projects in Australia, Canada and Angola.
Don holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, and an MBA from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California in Los Angeles.
Thomas Maier is based in the UK and is a member of the Advisory Board. He has over thirty years of experience in infrastructure delivery and finance in emerging markets.
Thomas is Strategic Advisor to the Global Infrastructure Hub, a G20 initiative to support the agenda of sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure. Previously, Thomas was Managing Director for Infrastructure at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, overseeing a successful private sector-focused infrastructure programme. He also chaired the Global Infrastructure Council of the World Economic Forum and has been involved in infrastructure related workstreams of G20 since 2013.
Thomas holds a degree in Public Administration and Management from the University of Konstanz, Germany and an MA in Development Economics from the University of Kent, UK.
Prof. Paik is based in London and is a member of the Advisory Board. He was affiliated with Chatham House between 1995 and 2020 as research fellow, senior research fellow and associate fellow, and with Oxford Institute for Energy Studies as senior research fellow between 2007 and 2019.
Prof. Paik is a recognised global authority on Sino-Russian oil and gas cooperation studies, based on his 38 years research work. He served as advisor to the Sino-Russian Oil and Gas Cooperation Committee, under CNPC and then of Government of Sakha Republic, and made a pivotal contribution to the Power of Siberia's gas pipeline development.
Prof. Paik studied at Yonsei University in Korea for his undergraduate and graduate studies (1979-1985) and was awarded his Ph.D by the University of Aberdeen in 1994.
Randel Young is based in Houston and serves on the Advisory Board of the firm. With over 40 years' experience in managing US and cross-border projects and business strategies, he focuses on structuring and raising debt and equity capital for cross border transactions and investments in the energy and infrastructure sectors, particularly in the renewables, natural gas and LNG markets of the Americas, Asia and the Middle East.
Prior to joining Stirling Infrastructure’s Advisory Board, Randel was a senior energy transaction partner in the global law firm, K&L Gates where he served in senior leadership positions including as Global Practice Area Leader, Energy Infrastructure and Resources, and as a member of the firm’s global management committee and global advisory council. As Global Practice Area Leader, Randel co-led K&L Gates’s globally integrated energy and infrastructure practice platform in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
Randel is a Distinguished Research Fellow and Advisory Director at the Center for Energy Law at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he lectures on the structuring, development and execution of large-scale cross-border energy projects. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Houston and Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center.
Li Zhang is based in London and is a member of the Advisory Board. She has extensive experience in advising clients on acquisition, development, construction and financing of cross-border energy and infrastructure projects with a particular focus on renewables, nuclear, transmission and distribution networks, battery storage, hydrogen, and other energy transition solutions.
Prior to joining Stirling Infrastructure, Li was a senior energy and project finance lawyer with leading international law firms in London. She is dual-qualified in the United Kingdom and the United States and her practice expands across the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Asia Pacific regions.
Li holds a Master of Law from Renmin University of China and a L.L.M from George Washington University Law School, United States. She also studied and completed a European law program from University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne.
Jeremy Fern is based in London and serves as the firm’s Corporate Communications Director. He has had many years’ experience in corporate communications and public affairs. Jeremy also worked for fifteen years with the City of London Corporation on the business environment and the promotion of financial and business services globally, engaging with intra-governmental bodies, institutional investors and multinational corporations. His background was in securities and asset management.