Nusret Cömert Biography
Nusret Comert is the Chairman of the Board and the Principle Shareholder of Damnus Energy & Investment Inc. He has been in the upstream, midstream and downstream of energy industry since 1984. He had been supporting Royal Dutch Shell’s activities in the Middle East, Africa, Caspian and European region for developing upstream oil and gas positions and additional gas supplies for Turkey and Europe. Comert has led the natural gas sector’s liberalization process in Turkey and is the founder and was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shell Energy A.S., the first private company importing and trading natural gas in Turkey. He has also led Shell’s entry in deep water exploration in the Mediterranean and West Black Sea as well as Shale Oil and Shale Gas exploration in South East Turkey in partnership with TPAO, the national upstream company. In Shell, Comert was an Exploration Leadership Team Member in Middle East and North Africa; a Gas and Power Leadership Team Member in South East Europe. Comert gained broad experience from the development of the Trans-Caspian Gas Project, gas and power production, storage, LNG and distribution projects and initiated the Turkey-Greece Gas Pipeline Project, currently supplying gas to Greece via Turkey. Previously, Comert worked at Shell’s Central Offices in London for several years responsible for Gas & Power Business Development for Turkey and East Mediterranean region. Prior roles spanned in the areas of marketing & sales, planning & economics and supply & distribution of fuels and lubricants for the Group’s Oil Products business. Comert has led Shell Turkey’s transformation during deregulation period in oil products in Turkey.
Comert has been an Independent Board Member of Akfen Holding A.S. (akfen.com.tr), the leading infrastructure holding in Turkey developed and operated major airports around the world, Mersin International Port, power generation, property, Istanbul Sea Transportation, hotels, etc. for four years and an Independent Board Member of Borusan Mannesmann (http://www.borusanmannesmann.com) for seven years, a leading international pipe producer. He is the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago in Istanbul and overall Turkey, was an Executive Board Member of Istanbul Consular Corps (ICC) responsible for International Relations.
Comert held a BS degree (Mechanical Engineering) and completed Istanbul University Business School. He is a Senior Advanced Leadership Fellow at Harvard University (advancedleadership.harvard.edu) and an IMD Business School Alumni, member of Harvard Club of New York City, was the Vice President of Harvard Club of Turkey. Comert was an active member of TUSIAD (tusiad.org), the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association for 15 years and the Deputy Chairman of the Energy Group. He is a founder and former Chairman of the Board of Directors of PETFORM, the Petroleum Platform Association for three terms, was an Executive Board Member of Turkish Foreign Economic Board (DEIK) Turkey-Central America and Caribbeans Business Council, a member of advisory board of Energy and Sustainable Development Practices and Research Center of Kadir Has University. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and forums and is often interviewed by press on the topics of energy and leadership.