In 2004, The PBN Company’s Board of Directors expanded by four, including three new outside directors. The fourth is Myron Wasylyk, PBN’s Senior Vice President and Managing Director of PBN•Kyiv (see related story).

David Herbert. PBN is small potatoes compared to his other clients. For a man used to advising multi-million and multi-billion dollar companies on their financial needs, it’s an honor to have David lend his considerable expertise to PBN’s Board of Directors.

David is Managing Director and Head of Emerging Europe Investment Banking at ING Corporate Finance in London. He is responsible for originating and executing equity capital markets and M&A/advisory assignments in Central and Eastern Europe, including those involving Russian and other regional companies. He manages and directs a team of dedicated professionals based in the U.K. From 2000 to 2003, David and his team achieved leading regional league table positions in both the equity capital and strategic markets and is the market leader in post-1998 Russian IPOs. He has been on the frontline of commercial developments in a range of sectors – from telecommunications and airlines to energy and the food & drink industries – in Europe and elsewhere around the world, and has advised on many significant privatizations. He began his career in merchant banking with Baring Brothers in 1989.

Prior to that, David was a senior executive at BP for 11 years. He served in a variety of senior management positions with the company, including responsibility for business development and coordination of BP’s Latin American and East Asian operations.

Email David: David.Herbert@pbnco.com

Richard Sermon. Peter Necarsulmer says of Richard Sermon: "If Richard doesn’t know someone in London, they’re just not worth knowing." That’s obvious if you’ve ever enjoyed a lunch or dinner with Richard in the City – the constant "hellos" and "how are yous" from friends, associates and colleagues are pleasant and interesting interruptions.

Richard is a veteran of strategic communications, corporate counseling, investor relations and crisis communications. In fact, his work over the past 25 years defines what our industry is today.

Richard was the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Shandwick Consultants Limited, where he developed one of the most successful financial, corporate and political affairs consultancies in the U.K. and Europe. While with Shandwick, Richard was seconded for more than three years to Goldman Sachs where he successfully handled the extremely high profile and controversial Robert Maxwell matter.

Today, Richard is the Chairman of Gryphon Corporate Counsel, a UK-based strategic communications counseling concern. He is also Chairman of The PBN Company Limited, the wholly-owned U.K. subsidiary of The PBN Company.

Email Richard: Richard.Sermon@pbnco.com

Robert Sheppard. He’s an oilman, but also a diplomat. His political and ambassadorial skills were honed over many years running oil companies in Russia, Egypt and Argentina. The latest feather in his cap was his leadership in the creation of TNK-BP, Russia’s third largest oil company, which was established with the merger of oil assets of BP and Alfa Group/Access Renova.

Bob is currently Chairman of IPM Advisors, a strategic consulting firm specializing in senior-level counsel to the oil & gas and related industries. He is also a senior advisor to BP, one of the world’s leading producers, refiners and marketers of petroleum and natural gas products.

Prior to launching IPM Advisors, Bob had a distinguished 32-year career as a senior executive, supervisor and engineer in the petroleum industry. From 2002-2004, he was a Senior Vice President at BP, overseeing the company’s assets in Russia and advising the Chairman on strategic investments. For four years, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as President, Bob led Sidanco, the fourth largest integrated oil company in Russia, which was eventually merged with BP’s other Russian investments into the new oil company, TNK-BP.

For more than 25 years, Bob held various positions around the world at Amoco, which was purchased by BP in 1999. He was President and General Manager of Amoco Egypt for three years, President and General Manager of Amoco Argentina and Managing Director of the Gulf of Suez Petroleum Company, a joint operating company of the Egyptian government and Amoco.

Email Bob: Robert.Sheppard@pbnco.com