Rafi has over 35 years’ experience with Shell company, covering the technical, commercial and leadership aspects of the energy business. His main expertise lies in cultural navigation, deal-making and strategic leadership. In May 2016, Rafi was named a Chief Operating Officer of Shell UK, being on call for advisory support, until he retired from Shell in January 2017.
“The recent years were a period of formation for IDeA. We are hopeful that Rafi Baghdjian’s experience and knowledge will help the Foundation facilitate the development of cultural and social entrepreneurship in Armenia,” IDeA co-founders Ruben Vardanyan and Veronika Zonabend said.
“I am delighted to join IDeA Foundation. It is a great pleasure to serve my motherland, bringing in my 35-year experience with Shell from around the world,” Baghdjian commented on his appointment.
Edgar Manukyan, who had headed IDeA since July 2015, resigned to engage in private business.
“We are thankful to Edgar for his great job and particular contribution to the creation of UWC Dilijan and wish him every success in his future endeavors,” Vardanyan and Zonabend said.
Rafi Baghdjian’s Biography
Rafi has over 35 years’ experience with Shell, covering the technical, commercial and leadership aspects of the energy business.
Rafi was born in Beirut in 1956 and graduated as a chemical engineer from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Lille (France), in 1981.
After starting his career with Shell in The Hague, Rafi moved to Yokohama in 1984 where he was a design engineer for the North West Shelf (Australia) LNG project. After a couple of years as a process engineer back in The Hague, Rafi moved to the commercial side of Shell as a business analyst for Shell International Gas, in London, in 1987.
In 1989, Rafi transferred to Tokyo, as manager for the Brunei LNG Project, and was involved, among others, in the customer interface of that project.
In 1992, Rafi moved to Muscat to become the Corporate Affairs Manager for Oman LNG where he spent 6 years working on the project from its...
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