David Voght

Managing Director

As Managing Director and founding partner of IPD, David has built the firm’s client-focused services on a platform of efficient, precise, and timely knowledge transfer. He developed IPD’s core consulting methodology to provide high value analysis, based on ethically and locally collected intelligence, for clients navigating highly complex investment environments.

David has worked in energy and general infrastructure development with a focus on business strategy, market analysis, political and economic risk, financing, and business-to-government relations for 23 years. Having resided in Venezuela from 1991 to 2011, David is one of the premier experts on that country’s energy industry. In 1999 he founded IPD, which has offices in Caracas, Mexico City, and Bogota, and provides a network of consultants who advise clients on energy investment throughout the region. From IPD’s base in Madrid, Spain today, David oversees the company’s regional business, which furnishes advisory services to multi-national energy developers, oilfield service companies, foreign governments, and financial institutions.

David publishes and speaks regularly on the Latin American energy industry with particular focus on legislation, regulatory and government issues impacting the day-to-day operations of the oil, gas and power industries, and scenarios for the build-out of new energy infrastructure.

Prior to founding IPD, David was employed at a Washington, DC based consulting firm advising the U.S. Government and multi-lateral banks on infrastructure investment throughout Latin America.

Memberships:
Energy Working Group, Elcano Royal Institute
Enerclub, Spain
International Solar Energy Society
Venezuelan Gas Processors Association

Education
Bachelor of Arts, Boston College, 1991 – Major: Political Science

Languages Spoken
English (native), Spanish (fluent), French (proficient)

John Padilla

Managing Director

As Managing Director and partner at IPD, John leverages years of Wall Street experience in structured energy and infrastructure financing to offer comprehensive perspective on energy investment throughout Latin America.

John led IPD’s expansion into Mexico in 2001. He has since played a vital role in the development of lobbying efforts to encourage a healthy, more vigorous Mexican energy sector. With 15 years of direct consulting experience in Mexico, John is one of the premier experts on the politics and policy of that country’s energy industry. In 2011 he relocated to Bogota in order to participate more directly in the resurgence of Colombia’s oil and gas sectors.

John co-heads IPD’s business throughout Latin America, contributing a strong pragmatism and tactical expertise to support project risk and opportunity assessment. He has devised comprehensive government relations, key stakeholder management, and legislative and regulatory analysis services to enhance clients’ ability to navigate Latin America’s complex business environments. John is frequently quoted in the U.S. and international press, and speaks regularly at industry conferences and events.

Prior to joining IPD, John was Vice President and a Global Relationship Manager with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in its N.Y. based Energy, Utility and Infrastructure Group, focusing on large domestic and international projects in Latin America, the U.S. and Asia. He also held positions with the project finance group at Banque Paribas and the transportation group at Manufacturers Hanover (now JP Morgan Chase).

Education
Bachelor of Science, Boston College, 1991 – Major: Finance

Languages Spoken
English (native), Spanish (fluent)

Patricia Ventura Nicolas

Director

Patricia has worked in the Venezuelan energy sector for 20 years. She oversees IPD’s regional public affairs and government relations services. She regularly leads tactical workshops and studies related to country risk, institutional relations strategy, and corporate positioning, as well as legislative and regulatory concerns. Patricia has extensive experience working with numerous Venezuelan government sectors, including the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Finance Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and the National Assembly. She is the project leader for IPD’s international stakeholder management and country risk services. She is a Chevening scholar and a professor of petroleum policy in the Petroleum Law program at the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas.

Prior to joining IPD in 2005, Patricia was a journalist covering international and domestic energy issues. She won the Citigroup Award for Excellence in Journalism for her work with the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal. Patricia has also worked with Dow Jones Newswire and the Caracas-based El Diario de Caracas. She has extensive experience covering domestic and international energy issues.

Education
Patricia graduated from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello in Caracas with a bachelor’s degree in social communication. She also holds a Masters in Law with a focus on Petroleum Law and Policy from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee in Scotland.

Languages Spoken
Spanish (native), English (fluent)

Ana María Cubides

Senior Consultant, Colombia

Ana María is a political analyst, with more than 15 years of experience in corporate affairs, with an emphasis on stakeholder management communications, and reputation management. With solid experience in the identification and management of risks and issues related to political, regulatory matters and social issues that could impact the companies’ business goals and reputation. She has worked for companies in the energy sector, such as Shell, and in international consulting firms, advising foreign investors with operations in various countries in the region.

Among her strengths includes: strategic analysis of the environment, stakeholder mapping, risk management, project management, communication skills, negotiation and conflict resolution, as well as crisis management.  She is currently a senior IPD consultant, advising companies in the energy sector in corporate affairs, social license to operate, crisis management and reputation. While working with Shell she supported the company with its unconventional block, from the advocacy efforts to the communications and engagement strategy in the field. She also leveraged Shell’s global best practices to support the advocacy efforts with the ACP petroleum association.

Education
Ana Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia and a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana also in Bogota. She has also pursued studies in crisis management, conflict resolution, and social performance.

Languages Spoken
Spanish (native), English (fluent)

Oswaldo Madrid

Strategic Partner, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay

Oswaldo is Managing Director of Quito-based Probus Advisors, an IPD regional strategic partner. He has over 24 years of professional experience, most of it in the oil upstream industry, with special focus in the development of new oil fields and the construction of field production facilities.  Oswaldo has an engineering degree in Geotecnichs, a master degree in business administration, a master degree in international business, and also is a certified Project Manager Professional, among other relevant studies.  Has held several senior management positions, and recently was the General Manager of Petroamazonas, the state owned E&P Company in Ecuador, where Mr.Madrid was responsible for the operation of more than the seventy percent of the total country oil production, and led important processes of growth and expansion of the company by the incorporation of new blocks and the merge with other state owned operations. Oswaldo has also directed the processes of negotiation of several investment contracts to optimize and increase oil production in mature fields, building an important business network with oil operators and services companies in Latin America and around the World.

Languages Spoken
Spanish (native), English (fluent)

María Claudia Díaz

Senior Consultant

Maria Claudia specializes in energy economics and infrastructure development. She has broad experience in Colombia’s power, oil, gas and mining industries. Maria Claudia currently leads IPD’s economic, policy, and regulatory analysis efforts in Colombia and Mexico. She is a key member of IPD’s natural gas market analysis team, and has extensive expertise with due diligence, oil and gas fiscal systems, and bid round terms and conditions.

Before joining IPD, Maria Claudia acted as advisor to the CEO of a private electricity distribution company in Colombia. As an economic analyst for the Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) of the Colombian government, she researched, monitored and evaluated mining industry performance, with particular attention to foreign direct investment and trade in the domestic and international markets. She also participated in a technical cooperation project between Inter American Development Bank and Invest in Colombia Corporation (Coinvertir) and other projects to attract FDI to Colombian companies.

Education
Maria holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Universidad de Los Andes in Bogota, Colombia and a Specialized Master of Energy Management from ESCP Europe. She has also pursued graduate studies in management, leadership, and investment promotion.

Languages Spoken
Spanish (native), English (fluent)

Kirsten Froede

Senior Consultant – Corporate Communications

Kirsten manages all IPD communications to ensure consistency, clarity and quality. She supports the firm’s marketing efforts, and plays an important role in the development and roll-out of new products and services.

Prior to joining IPD, Kirsten ran her own communications consulting business, with clients from the financial services and medical sectors. She was a communications consultant for the United States Agency for International Development in Tanzania and in Nepal, where she also advised senior staff from JICA, the Japanese development agency, and World Wildlife Fund. In 2003, she moved to Latin America, where she developed an interest in the energy sector.

Education
Kirsten holds a bachelor’s degree in literature and a master’s degree in adult education from Columbia University in New York.

Languages Spoken
English (native), Spanish (fluent), Italian (proficient)

Sergio Torres

Consultant

Sergio focuses on political and social developments within Colombia, and how they affect the oil and gas industry. He has extensive regional expertise in community issues, security, and environmental regulation. He also participates on IPD’s renewable energy team, evaluating new regulation and project development opportunities.

Prior to joining IPD, Sergio worked in the Bogota-based offices of Control Risks as a political and security analyst and researcher. During his three years with the company, he was responsible for providing in-depth analysis of Andean Region politics and security, as well as regional analysis in Colombia for the mining, infrastructure, oil, and gas industries. Sergio also worked as a research assistant on a joint project between the United Nations Development Program and the Bogota Mayor’s Office. He researched, monitored, and evaluated systems pertaining to democratic participation and public communications in Bogota.

Education
Sergio holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia. He also holds a Master of Arts in International Relations from the Universities of Wroclaw (Poland) and Leipzig (Germany).

Languages Spoken
Spanish (native), English (fluent), German (proficient)

Daniel Miranda

Analyst

Daniel supports IPD’s Venezuela consulting team with data aggregation management and economic analysis. He provides support for IPD’s cash flow modeling projects, and tracks and analyzes production trends. Daniel is also responsible for maintaining all of IPD’s proprietary Venezuela oil production, downstream, and export models, as well as all operational databases.

Education
Daniel graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Catolica Andres Bello (UCAB) in Caracas, Venezuela.

Languages Spoken
Spanish (native), English (intermediate)

Marcela Medina

Client Experience Coordinator

Marcela is responsible for IPD client relations in Mexico, focusing on internal procedures to support seamless customer service and communications. She regularly coordinates events to help IPD’s clients connect with Mexican government officials. These events provide an open forum for clients to speak with and ask questions of key stakeholders in Mexico’s energy reform.

Marcela also provides research support for IPD’s Mexico office, and collaborates with the company’s managing directors on marketing, conference participation, and industry engagement strategy.

Prior to joining IPD, Marcela was the Office Manager and Postgraduate Studies Coordinator at Strategy and Balanced Scorecard Consulting. She also worked at E! Entertainment Television as a Production Assistant, focusing on research and legal support. As a TESOL certified teacher, she taught English as a Second Language at two universities in China during the summer of 2001. She is experienced in office administration, public relations, real time and written translations, and bookkeeping.

Education
Marcela holds a Bachelor of Science in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas in Austin. She is also TESOL certified from the Study Institute and Global Network of English Teachers.

Languages Spoken
English (native), Spanish (native)