Board of managing directors

Roles of the Board members

The CEO, being the sole executive member of the Board, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the company, being also in charge of reviewing, defining and submitting strategic options that contribute to the development of the company and its subsidiaries.

The CEO is authorized to independently represent the Group, with the possibility to delegate his managing function for certain operations or categories of operations to certain third parties.

The Non-Executive Members of the Board mainly have the following duties:

to participate in determining the strategy and general policies of the company;
to supervise the management position and the general affairs of the company and its subsidiaries.

In support of its activity, the Board of Managing Directors established specialized committees, such as the Audit Committee, the Appointment and Remuneration Committee, the Strategy and Innovation Committee and the Finance and Investment Committee.

Management Structure

The company has a unified management system, including 7 (seven) Managing Directors, one of whom is Executive (the Chief Executive Officer - CEO) and 6 Non-Executive Managing Directors.
The Non-Executive Managing Directors include two independent members, who are of paramount importance from Corporate Governance perspective, as he provides well-grounded opinions in his area of expertise in support of management decisions, offering an increased protection of the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders, as well as an adequate guarantee for third parties.

The unified management system existing at the level of KMG International N.V. is mirrored at the level of the Group’s subsidiaries.

NIKOLAY KAZUTIN

Chairman

Mr. Kazutin holds the position of Non-Executive Managing Director and the Chairman of KMG International Board of Directors.

He is currently the Managing Director for Legal Support, Counselling and Risks within the Samruk-Kazyna JSC, offering legal support for all the reforms carried out in the Fund and effective protection of the Fund’s interests in international arbitration.

He has many years of experience in legal, consulting and financial structures, such as Amanat Insurance Industrial Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers Tax & Advisory, Asia Waters Company, East Kazakhstan Regional Energy Company, etc.

Mr. Kazutin graduated from the Kazakh Economic University named after T. Ryskulov with a degree in Accounting and Audit in 2003.

Erik Sagiyev

Executive Managing Director

Erik Sagiyev currently also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of KMG International. In this role, he leads the implementation of the Group’s overall strategy, drives the achievement of key business objectives, and ensures strong operational and financial performance — all in alignment with the vision and strategic direction established by KazMunayGas, the Group’s sole shareholder.

Before joining KMG International Group, he held leadership positions in several companies within KazMunayGas Group, the National Oil and Gas company of Kazakhstan.

Erik brings over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, with expertise in major upstream oil field projects where he successfully managed large-scale pipeline operations and represented industry interests at executive and governmental levels. Additionally, he possesses strong expertise in business development, consulting, and fostering strategic partnerships between companies and government authorities.

Erik Sagiyev holds a Bachelor's degree in Machinery and Equipment from West Kazakhstan State University and a Bachelor's degree in Law from Kazakhstan Humanities and Law University.

VASSILIY LAVRENOV

Non-Executive Managing Director

Mr. Lavrenov is the Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of JSC NC “KazMunayGas”.

He has a substantial in-house legal experience in many companies, holding different managerial positions: Head of Legal Department, Chief Legal Advisor of the Kazakhstan Branch of Bateman Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Company B.V., Director of the Legal Service of the oilfield services company Integra Management CJSC (Representative Office in Kazakhstan), Director of the Legal Department and General Counsel of Eastcomtrans Group.

He was also a partner in Grata Law Firm LLP and Senior Partner, Consultant at Greenline Services Ltd in Budapest.

Mr. Lavrenov graduated from the Kazakh State Law Academy in 2000.

In 2004, he also obtained the degree in International Law from Duke University School of Law and Kyushu University in Japan.

EMILE EDUARD WOLFF

Independent Non-Executive Managing Director

Mr. Emile Wolff has over 20 years of experience in consulting services in areas such as project management in the oil industry, technical maintenance, engineering, innovations and IT systems. Currently he runs his own company, Emile Wolff B.V., providing consulting services, with focus on: project & program management, post-merger integration, innovation, business management and improvement, mentoring/coaching. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of KMG International N.V. since November 2014.

Mr. Wolff was born in 1950 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He graduated from the Delft Technical University, The Netherlands, and majored in industrial engineering. He is a member of the Royal Dutch Society of Engineers.

ARMAN SAULEBAY

Non-Executive Managing Director

Mr. Arman Saulebay has graduated in 2004 the Kazakh Humanities and Law University, in Astana, Faculty: Jurisprudence followed by the Kazakh National Technical University, in Almaty, Faculty: Economics and Management. He also added various advanced training courses and seminars to his educational background in such areas as: project management, strategic management system, effective corporate governance, structuring international business and corporate acquisitions, financial and economic modeling.

Mr. Saulebay gathered extensive experience in managerial positions mainly within oil and gas companies: NC KazMunayGas JSC, Karagandy CCI LLP, KMG Global Solutions B.V., KazMunayGas Refining, and Marketing JSC, TH KazMunaiGaz N.V. He had various responsibilities in such areas like asset management restructuring, implementation of M&A projects, management of the department of strategy, risk management and transformation, implementation of development projects for the oil-refining sector, including coal and petrochemical projects.

BULAT ZAKIROV

Non-Executive Managing Director

Mr. Zakirov Bulat has a robust professional background, currently serving as Deputy Chairman of the Management Board at JSC NC “KazMunayGas” overseeing the crude oil transportation, marine and coastal infrastructure, and international projects.

Before this, he held positions at JSC “KazTransOil,” KMG Systems & Services LLP, and KMG-Transcaspian LLP, where he played key roles in strategic planning, realization of major crude oil pipeline projects, asset management, and international cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

Throughout his professional career of over 25 years, Mr. Zakirov has demonstrated his expertise in project coordination, strategic planning, and leadership skills.

Mr. Zakirov graduated in 1997 with a bachelor's degree from the Faculty of International Economic Relations at the Kazakh State Academy of Management, specializing in International Monetary and Financial Relations. Subsequently, he pursued advanced studies at the University of Dundee in the United Kingdom, attaining a master’s degree. His focus during the master's program was on the Energy Industry, specifically in the realm of Oil and Gas Economics within the Master of Science in Energy Industries program.

J.J. (HAN) OORTWIJN

Independent Non-Executive Managing Director

Mr. Oortwijn began his career at KPMG Meijburg & Co, advancing to the role of Senior Tax Manager. He later became a founding partner at Atlas Tax Lawyers, overseeing a diverse portfolio and international clients. Following this, he took on the role of an Independent Tax Consultant, offering guidance to a significant US IT company and participating in various advisory roles covering finance and real estate.

His experience is completed by an extensive education, with studies in Fiscal Law and Economics at the Royal University of Groningen, along with additional courses for recognition within the Dutch Tax Bar Association. Additionally, he participated in various tax accounting courses, further enhancing his knowledge.

More related info:

Who we are

Our history

Rompetrol is the romanian brand with over 4 decades of expertise in the energy industry.
Discover the company’s history from its foundation in 1974 until today.

What we do

Our strategy

Rompetrol focuses on continuing developing its strategic directions on the retail market – opening new energy stations in Romania and the Black Sea region.

Sustainability Report

Group Reports

The Sustainability Report is addressed to all stakeholders of KMG International and aims at communicating our progress in the field of sustainable development and at consolidating our commitment for transparency on our operations and non-financial impact.