OTC Business Breakfast.

Mr. Hamis Ussif is a seasoned executive with over two and a half decades of professional experience across multiple sectors and jurisdictions, including a decade in the oil and gas industry. He serves as Deputy Chief Executive, Finance, Commercial and Administration at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), where he provides strategic leadership in finance, commercial, gas business, strategy, local content development, and Business Development.

He rejoined GNPC from the Abuja-based West African Gas Pipeline Authority (WAGPA), where he served as Director, Market Surveillance and Development, overseeing the commercial regulation of the 678-kilometer regional gas pipeline that transports natural gas across Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana.

Prior to this, Mr. Ussif spent ten and a half years in GNPC in diverse strategic roles, including supervision of the strategy and investment teams, Executive Assistant to two Chief Executives, and Manager for Gas Business and Institutional Reporting. In those roles, he coordinated the strategy formulation, performance management processes, and development of the GNPC corporate culture.

He pioneered and led GNPC’s Gas Business from inception, growing it into a billion-dollar operation while playing a lead role in all gas contract negotiations and strategic financing initiatives. He was also involved in several strategic financing initiatives. Notable amongst them are the US$700 million standby letter of credit in respect of the OCTP project, efforts to raise US$1 billion from international capital markets, and the US$50 million standby letter of credit financing for the Tema LNG Project.

Mr. Ussif also contributed significantly to national energy sector policy initiatives, including the Energy Sector Recovery Programme (ESRP), the Cash Waterfall Mechanism (CWM), and the Natural Gas Clearinghouse, which helped shape critical reforms within Ghana’s energy landscape.

In his earlier career, he served as a macro-economist and Public Financial Management Specialist at Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Head of Strategy at Bank of Africa Ghana, and Accountant at MTN Ghana.

He is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, holds an MSc degree in Development Studies from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in Administration (Accounting Option) from the University of Ghana Business School.

He brings to GNPC a unique blend of deep oil and gas expertise, strategic leadership, finance, and international executive experience.

Sunday Shepherd leads Chevron’s Corporate Strategy group, with accountability for corporate strategy development and alignment, enterprise risk management and investment governance. Sunday is passionate about building collaborative relationships within Chevron and across industry to ensure all voices are heard and to drive value. She was a part of starting Chevron’s early career network XYZ in 2000, chaired Chevron’s Executive Women’s Group in Houston from 2016-2019, and currently serves as management sponsor for Chevron’s Black Employee Network in Houston. Sunday’s passion for the arts and quality education for all has led her to represent Chevron on the Houston Ballet’s Board of Trustees and serve on OneGoal Houston’s Board of Directors.

Sunday joined Chevron in 2000 as a geologist and has worked in exploration and reservoir management assignments in the United States, Venezuela and Singapore. Prior to her current role in Corporate Strategy, Sunday led Chevron’s MidContinent Applied Reservoir Management team. Sunday’s prior roles include Exploration and Regional Manager roles in US Gulf of Mexico, Exploration Advisor for Chevron’s Asia Pacific E&P headquarters in Singapore, Development Geologist in Chevron’s Latin America Business Unit on a heavy oil field in Venezuela, and Earth Scientist and Team Leader in Chevron’s Energy Technology Company consulting on reservoir issues on many global projects.

Sunday earned a Bachelor of Science in Geological Sciences from Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina (an Historically Black University where she received a minority scholarship) and a Master’s in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin. Sunday currently lives in Houston where she enjoys exploring the city’s food and arts scene and competing in Tripoley marathons with her three children and husband Ryan Miller.

André Manhães is a senior executive with more than 25 years of global leadership experience across the Oil & Gas and Marine industries, spanning engineering, operations, commercial strategy, and executive management.

A Naval Engineer by training, André began his career with Bureau Veritas as a Senior Marine Engineer and Naval Architect, specializing in offshore assets including ships, platforms, and FPSOs. He later joined Schlumberger, where he worked as a Senior Field Engineer in deepwater operations across Brazil and West Africa, building extensive expertise in drilling, workover, and production.

Since joining CETCO Energy Services in 2013, André has held several leadership roles, including IOC Sales Manager and Brazil Country Manager, where he drove significant revenue growth, improved profitability, expanded operations, and achieved strong safety performance. He currently serves as Vice President, Western Hemisphere & Global Produced Water Sales, leading strategic growth, market expansion, and high-level client engagement across the Americas and global markets.

André is recognized for his expertise in produced water treatment, offshore production systems, and FPSO operations, as well as his leadership in advancing technology and supporting global strategy. He holds an Executive MBA and is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.