Mr Graham Ellis

Biography

Chairman of the Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA) since May 2012 (reappointed 2015).

Graham has been Chairman of the Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA), an arms length body of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) since 2012. During this time part of the OPA business, the network of pipelines and storage facilities across the UK serving both the military and 40% of the commercial UK jet fuel market called GPSS was sold. OPA now has responsibility to restore (COMAH Compliance), operate and maintain the Navy’s 6 marine fuel depots in the UK and storage caverns in the North West containing crude oil and products.

Graham has enjoyed a very successful career in the downstream oil industry covering a period of 30 years in Mobil and latterly ExxonMobil. His career has taken him to work in USA as a global marketing coordinator; to Norway as Chief Executive and to Belgium as European Retail Lubricants Director for ExxonMobil.

In the UK his last key role, before moving to Europe HQ was Chairman and Chief Executive of Mobil Oil Co Ltd and he led the formation of the first BP/Mobil JV in Europe. He has the unique experience of overseeing the sale of a downstream business, the set-up of a JV and the concurrent dissolution of the JV and merger of Exxon and Mobil in Europe.

Since 2008 he has successfully applied his business experience to numerous non-executive roles, firstly on the Board and Audit Committee of the Milton Keynes NHS Hospital as it achieved Foundation Status and then concurrently becoming Chairman of the Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust and a non- executive Main Board Director, Chair of Safety Committee and Member of Audit Committee of the Defence Equipment and Support arm of the MOD.

In 2013 he was appointed the sole non-executive director on the Defence Medical Services Board, to provide Healthcare assurance to the Joint Forces Command Audit Committee and to provide support and governance to Surgeon General as a Defence Authority.

Graham holds a Masters in Management Studies and Operational Research and Honours Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Energy Institute.