Leadership | Dr. Sara Vakhshouri

Founder and President

Dr. Sara Vakhshouri is the founder and president of SVB Energy International, a strategic consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Dubai. She is also the founder of SVB Green Access, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and providing affordable and inclusive energy programs to regions grappling with energy poverty. Additionally, SVB Green Access focuses on areas with inadequate or impending water access challenges.

Dr. Vakhshouri possesses two decades of experience in the energy industry, with a profound expertise in global energy market studies, energy strategy, energy security, and geopolitical risk. Throughout her career, Dr. Vakhshouri has advised numerous governments on energy strategy, as well as public and private entities, and international organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank. She serves as a Professor of Energy Security at the IWP Graduate School of National Security, Statecraft, and International Affairs. Furthermore, she holds the position of Senior Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Dr. Vakhshouri is also the Director of the Center for Energy Security and Diplomacy at the IWP and sits on the advisory board of the Romanian-American Institute for Smart Energy (RAISE) and The National Capital Area Chapter of the United States Association for Energy Economics. Dr. Vakhshouri's extensive experience includes advising various governments, energy companies, investment banks, financial institutions, law firms, and international corporations on energy security strategies, energy transition, energy markets, trading, the geopolitics of energy, and investment patterns. She is a member of the Energy Task Force of the Cyprus Climate Initiative, initiated by the President of the Republic of Cyprus. Her work has been published in esteemed journals, including The Economist, Middle East Economic Survey, and Oil and Gas Journal.

Dr. Vakhshouri has also contributed to energy research projects at the International Energy Agency (IEA), Harvard University's Kennedy School, Oxford Energy Institute, CEDIGAZ, Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center, School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, and The Economist's Energy Intelligence Unit. As a prominent figure in the energy industry, Dr. Vakhshouri has been a keynote speaker at renowned energy conferences, including the World Energy Congress, Chatham House Middle East & Energy Conference, Platts Oil and Middle East conferences, and the Global LNG Congress.

She has also delivered keynote speeches at institutions such as Duke University, Sciences Po University in Paris, and Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Vakhshouri is frequently quoted and has made appearances on major media outlets, including Bloomberg, the BBC, The Financial Times, Reuters, Platts, The Wall Street Journal, Energy Intelligence, Foreign Policy, The Washington Post, and Voice of America. She has also contributed chapters to various books and energy reports, including the World Energy Outlook 2018 published by the International Energy Agency. Dr. Vakhshouri regularly provides briefings to energy think tanks and agencies, including the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Her educational background includes a PhD in Energy Security and Middle Eastern Studies, as well as an MA in Business Management (International Marketing) and another MA in International Relations.