Akan Mkpah, Senior Vice President, UK & Africa
Akan started his career at Sea with the defunct Nigerian National Shipping Lines Limited (NNSL) as an Engineer Cadet Officer. He later joined foreign Ship Owners/Operators – Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL); Hemat Shipping, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Stephenson Clarke Shipping, Newcastle, United Kingdom and Gardline Surveys, Lowestoft, United Kingdom, rising to the position of Chief Engineer Officer.
During his time at sea spanning over 16 years, he served on deep sea Chemical Tankers, Product Tankers, General Cargo ships, Bulk Carriers and Seismic Survey vessels.
He started his shore-based career with ASP Ship Management Ltd in Glasgow, United Kingdom as Assistant Ship Manager and later moved up to Ship Manager, managing mixed fleet of Product Tankers, Bulk Carriers and General Cargo ships. He later joined Teekay Shipping Corporation, Glasgow, United Kingdom as Vessel Manager managing Aframax (Capesize) Crude and Product Tankers before joining C&I Petrotech Marine Limited, a C&I Leasing company, in Port Harcourt, Nigeria as Operations Manager managing mixed fleet of Offshore Vessels.
He thereafter moved on to Lamnalco Nigeria Limited as Operations Manager, Nigeria, also managing mixed fleet of Offshore Vessels before joining West African Ventures (WAV), a Sea Trucks Group (STG) company as Chartering Manager, West Africa/Client Support Manager.
Prior to Pebbles Energy, Akan was with Sunny-Ebi Multi Systems Limited, Lagos, Nigeria, an Integrated Oil and Gas Servicing company as General Manager where he was involved amongst others with Heavy Duty Lift Operations using Self Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) and Skidding.
He also briefly worked as Project Engineer with James Fisher Shipping Services, Cumbria, United Kingdom where he was involved with retrofitting Ballast Water Treatment Systems on owned/managed tankers.
He attended South Tyneside College, South Shields, United Kingdom, where he obtained Class 2 Engineer (Motor/Unlimited) Certificate of Competency in 1996 and Class 1 Engineer (Motor/Unlimited) Certificate of Competency in 2000.
He also attended Northumbria University, Newcastle, United Kingdom where he obtained a BEng (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 and in 2006 he graduated from Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom, where he obtained an MBA in General Management.
Akan is registered with Engineering Council, United Kingdom as a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), United Kingdom, as a Chartered Marine Engineer (CMarEng) and is a Member of Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (MIMarEST), United Kingdom.
Vice President, Operations
Vice President, Commercial & New Business
Vice President, Finance & Accounts
Vice President, Human Resources & Corporate Affairs
General Manager, Pebbles Energy Ltd, United Kingdom