Governance Structure
The General Assembly constitutes the school’s highest Governing Body. It is formed of representatives from the school’s founding companies: British Petroleum Angola (now part of Azule Energy, an incorporated joint venture with Eni SpA), Cabinda Gulf Oil Company Ltd, Esso Exploration Angola, Statoil (now Equinor), Halliburton Overseas Limited and Schlumberger Technical Services (now SLB).
The Board of Directors is also composed of representatives from these founding companies, as well as the US Embassy.
The founding companies nominate representatives to the General Assembly and Board, respectively. The representatives have full authority to act for and on behalf of their respective member companies.
Board Committees are established based on identified needs and serve a vital purpose in the work of the Board. Board-approved Charters establish guidelines for each Committee.
From time to time, the Board may appoint a task force. Task forces are small groups of people – and resources – brought together to accomplish a specific objective, with the expectation that the group will disband when the objective has been completed.
The key duties and competencies of the General Assembly and Board of Directors are as follows.
General Assembly:
- Approval of budget, work programme and accounts.
Board of Directors:
- Establishing the strategic direction of the School;
- Exercising fiduciary oversight;
- Maintaining, and monitoring the implementation of policies.
Board of Directors
Mr. Shaun McGuire arrived in Luanda in July 2024 and currently serves as Management Counselor at the US Embassy. Previous postings with the U.S. Department of State have included Lithuania, Turkey and Colombia. While in Lithuania, Shaun served as a School Board Chair from 2021 – 2023. Prior to joining the Department of State, Shaun worked in Higher Education, most recently as the Assistant Dean of First Year Programs, Orientation, and Learning Communities at Long Island University. Shaun is joined by his wife, Lora, and three children enrolled at LIS.
Ms. Liliana Rocha Martinho, representative of Halliburton, is a Human Resources professional with almost a decade of experience within the intricacies of people management. Liliana works in employee training and development within her organization, and believes human development is inherently linked to education for increasing the knowledge, skills, and capacities of all people in society.
Ms. Eleonora Depianto has 30 years of experience at Chevron, with a career spanning a diverse range of Finance, Planning, and Commercial roles, both in the USA and internationally, including Angola, Congo, and Kazakhstan. Currently on her second assignment in Angola, her previous posting in the country was from 2010 to 2013. Her interests include spending time with family in California, Italy, and South Africa, as well as traveling, cooking, shopping, and enjoying winter sports.
Mr. João Volo Domingos is the Country Manager of SLB. Since joining Schlumberger in 2005, Mr. Domingos has worked in several locations across Europe and Africa, and holds a degree in Civil Engineering with Structures from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.
Ms. Cátia Aires is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry, specializing in Procurement, Supply Chain and Maintenance in support of offshore operations. She holds a degree in Political Science from Universidade Técnica de Lisboa in Portugal and began her career as a college lecturer, teaching Business Communication for four years. Fluent in Portuguese and English, with a working understanding of French, Cátia began her life with a multicultural and cosmopolitan style. Her career is marked by a strong commitment to operational excellence, strategic sourcing, and team development. Outside of work, Cátia is a proud mother of two and enjoys pedal, dancing, music and travelling – activities that reflect her energetic and curious spirit.
Mr. John Tanser is the Azule Group Controller. He has over 18 years of experience working in the extractive energy industry in multiple geographical locations, including Angola, Norway, Budapest and the United Kingdom and through multiple finance disciplines including Accounting, Planning and Commercial. Outside of work, John enjoys spending time with his young family and actively participating in Triathlons, Tennis, Golf and anything outdoors that requires sunshine and movement. John is deeply invested and passionate about enhancing and enriching the learning environment at LIS and ensuring opportunity and growth for all students.