Gächter Appointed IPA Director for Asia Pacific
Independent Project Analysis, Inc. announced today that Mr. Rolando A. Gächter, currently a manager for IPA’s Exploration and Production business area, will become Director for the Asia Pacific Region effective July 31, 2015, succeeding Allison J. Aschman. Dr. Aschman will be returning to IPA’s headquarters office in the USA where she will lead the company’s implementation consulting practice.
IPA CEO Ed Merrow said, “Rolando brings a wealth of experience in natural resource projects to Asia Pacific. IPA clients in the Asia Pacific region range in territory from China and Japan in the north all the way to the southernmost point of Australia and covering an expansive array of cultures and languages. Rolando’s experience as a manager in Europe and the USA will help him lead our operations effectively in Asia Pacific as we seek to help our clients achieve and exceed their capital effectiveness goals.”
Before joining IPA in 1998, Mr. Gächter developed six years of experience in the energy industry analysis for the federal offshore oil and natural gas program by analyzing oil and gas issues of supply, demand, and corporate viability as the staff specialist for the US federal outer continental shelf information program. After several years as a project analyst tackling progressively more difficult projects, Gächter was named Manager Mining, Minerals, and Metals in 2004 and became Manager for Exploration and Production in early 2005. In October 2011 he relocated to Reading, UK, to manage our E&P practice in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Rolando has over seventeen years of capital project benchmarking experience, specializing in energy and minerals extraction projects. His experience includes large-scale project system benchmarkings for major oil and natural gas producers. His experience also extends to reviews of over 100 major capital projects worldwide in the petroleum exploration and production and mining sectors covering over $5 billion in capital expenditures. Mr. Gächter has managed the accounts of a diverse group of clients both big and small. These include a supermajor, a large national oil company, as well as smaller independent operators. He currently serves as a senior instructor of the IPA Institute which provides education to project professionals globally. Over the years Mr. Gächter has presented at various industry conferences and seminars including the United States, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
In December 2014, on behalf of IPA, Rolando launched a joint industry study of Non-Operated Ventures (NOVs) – an analysis of companies that will examine governance Best Practices for NOVs and establish effectiveness “levers” in project planning from the non-operating partner’s perspective.
Rolando will reside in Singapore with his wife, Giselle, and their two daughters.