Mr. James Mbote is an accomplished business leader, oil and gas professional, managing director with over 15 years in upstream and midstream oil and gas sectors with both local and multinational companies. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Technology Education (Electrical & Electronics Option), Master Oil and Gas Operations Risk Manager; CGE, The Netherlands and a Master of Business Administration in Oil and Gas from Middlesex University, UK.

He has held numerous senior management positions and contributed to the growth and development of the oil and gas sector both locally and internationally. His passion for building the industry in Kenya and entrepreneurial spirit have compelled him to stand and run two successful companies locally. OML Africa Limited and Royal Oilfield Logistics, Services and Supplies (ROLSS) Limited. He currently serves as Managing Director and Senior Consultant at both establishments.

During his tenure as the MD of ROLSS Ltd and OML Africa Limited, James has displayed his dedication to operational excellence in the execution of projects. Under his direction, OML has revolutionized the oil industry in Kenya by reducing industry accepted drilling rig-move timelines from twenty-five days to three and half days and covered over three million kilometers and over eight hundred days with no lost time incidents.

Talent development has been strong area of interest for Mr. Mbote throughout his time in the industry. He dedicates a lot of his time providing local and international training in the field of oil and gas. He has volunteered on a number of occasions to lecture and speak in a number of conferences on various topics pertaining to the industry such as Introduction to Oil & Gas Course, The Right Skills for Oil and Gas Supply Chain, and The Local Content Experience of First Movers in East Africa among others. In times prior, Mr. Mbote was involved principally in developing ad deploying QHSE trainings for Nabors Drilling in Tanzania, Libya, Oman, Yemen, and Kuwait. Through this work in capacity building, James has continually contributed to the development of safety conscious professionals. He has also used his life experience to encourage new entrepreneurs in the sector, improve prospects for increased investment by local firms and also created opportunities for young professionals and others interested in careers in the oil and gas Industry.

Mr. Mbote has recently been investing in his own professional development and will be graduating this year with a Master of Business Administration degree with specialization in oil and gas. He is particularly proud of this achievement as its pursuit has allowed him to build onto his expertise with new insights on the current state of knowledge on the global oil and gas industry, oil and gas business strategy, executive leadership, advanced international oil and gas marketing, oil and gas finance and risk management, oil and gas project management and oil and gas business transformation. His paper, “Effects of 2014/2015 Global Oil Benchmark Prices Decline on Oil and Gas Exploration and Appraisal Drilling in Kenya”, allowed him to conduct in depth research into the Kenyan oil industry and understand critical factors for success.

James Mbote continues to learn and look for new opportunities to expand his experience and expertise as well as contribute his wealth of knowledge to ensure the positive growth of oil and gas industry in Kenya as well as globally.