Thomas Strouse

• Providing business development and market intelligence advisory services for companies seeking new oil and gas opportunities in the Middle East and Africa • Advising oil company investors active in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the wider region on commercial and business development matters, with a particular focus on Iraq, Libya and Syria • Screening new upstream opportunities and leveraging extensive network in order to engage in bilateral discussions with government officials, companies, banks, oil trading firms and other stakeholders • Oil marketing origination, business development and market intelligence support in niche crude and oil product markets • Leading in-depth market studies, strategic market intelligence reports and executive briefings on various issues impacting the energy sector across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region • Due diligence screening of companies, individuals and other entities through on-the-ground investigative research, vetting of potential counterparties, making sense of complex corporate structures, assessing reputational risk and identifying political or sanctions exposure • PR, marketing and investor relations support, including writing and editing investor presentations, documents and other relevant corporate materials

• Exploring crude offtake opportunities in the MENA region • Oil marketing origination, business development and market intelligence support in niche crude and oil product markets

• TJ Motorsports Marketing provides marketing and sponsorship support to teams and drivers in the racing world, including NASCAR and dirt racing • Connecting new sponsors and partners into the sport, including through business-to-business (B2B) opportunities • Leveraging international network, including in the oil and gas industry, for potential partnership opportunities

• Advising on commercial and business development matters, both in existing areas of operation and new venture opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and West Africa • Strategic market intelligence in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, including oil marketing advisory

• Advised DNO’s Executive Chairman and senior management on key industry, political and security developments which could impact company’s operations in the Middle East, West Africa and the North Sea, with a particular focus on the Kurdistan region of Iraq • Built and maintained relationships across the industry to support management decision-making process, commercial strategy, new business development and oil marketing opportunities • Developed market intelligence reports on the wider upstream competitor landscape, new business development opportunities, global oil markets, Middle East geopolitics and regional oil trade flows, leveraging extensive network of contacts in order to develop new commercial opportunities for the company

• In addition to the market analysis role, also led the company’s external communication, investor relations, as well as all corporate presentations, press releases and other written materials

• Covered Middle East region’s oil and gas industry for Energy Intelligence's influential trade publications, including Petroleum Intelligence Weekly (PIW), providing critical insight and analysis into the region's industry and geopolitical developments • Built relationships with senior government officials and oil executives across the region, developing key sources of information and insight, with a primary focus on Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt, Israel and Jordan

• Research and analysis on political developments in the Middle East relevant to oil markets • Consulting services on political and security issues facing foreign companies operating in the region, including stakeholder assessment and cultural awareness training for foreign oil companies entering the Kurdistan region of Iraq

Studied Arabic for a semester in Damascus, Syria Master’s thesis: “Dependent Aspirations: The Oil Policies of the Kurdistan Regional Government”

BA, International Politics BA, Economics Studied abroad for a semester at the American University in Cairo, taking courses on Middle East politics, Egyptian politics and Arabic