Who we are

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Our History

Our Business

Our core business is exploration and production, refining, logistics and sales; our assets and investments complement and enhance these activities. At the last count, we have 1450 employees in 8 offices across the world.

We are driven by the needs of our customers around the world and the desire to fuel their journeys. To this end, we utilise our global capabilities across our integrated upstream, midstream and downstream energy businesses – from exploration to refining, retail to storage, aviation to wholesale, marine to bunkering and beyond.

The Prax Group makes discoveries in naturally fractured basement reservoirs, feeding this product further down the value chain. We also refine and blend physical oil to regional, market and customer specification in strategically located terminals and warehouses around the world. We operate efficient, safe, and high-quality logistics, moving oil by barge, truck, rail, pipeline and vessel in support of our core activities and for third parties.

To make things simple for our customers, we segment our businesses into three distinct, but integrated, divisions:

  • Upstream
  • Midstream
  • Downstream

The Prax Group’s downstream marketing and distribution businesses carry the Harvest Energy brand. Our midstream and upstream businesses, including refining, blending, exploration and production, carry the Prax brand. The Group is collectively identified as the Prax Group.

Our branding, identity and logos explained

The outer circle of the Prax logo is reminiscent of the globe and depicts endurance. The inner circle represents a bird’s eye view of an oil storage tank; this lean but incredibly strong structure epitomises the collective strength of the Group.
 The colour green suggests a connection to nature and the environment, while the name Prax is taken from the first initials of members of the founders’ families.

Axis Logistics is a seal of approval and a promise of quality and expertise. An axis is the invisible line around which an object rotates, much like the rotating elliptical circles of our logo, which symbolise the speed, power and innovation for which the company is renowned, serving the fast pace and demands of the changing energy industry. The colour green represents our commitment to minimising, as far as possible, our impact on the environment.

The concept behind the design of the Prax Foundation Roots logo is a tree, which has strong foundations and branches made up of the children that the charity supports. The tree represents their personal growth, and the help and support they are offered in order to put down solid roots of their own. It is also reflective of the charity name, which stems from the fact that our trustees have roots in Sri Lanka.

Butterflies play a number of important roles in the ecosystem and from ancient times, the remarkable metamorphosis from chrysalis to butterfly has been used to illustrate rebirth and transformation. The Harvest Energy butterfly logo represents the continuous, steady evolution of the business and enhances its environmental credentials.

The Breeze logo depicts two leaves, used in different colourways – blue and green – representing the synergies between the brand and Harvest Energy. The leaves suggest a connection to nature and the environment, while the simplicity of the Breeze logo represents the ease and efficiency of using our facilities.

The clarity and simplicity of the OIL! logo represents the comprehensive service offered at the brand’s forecourts. The logo’s use of green represents the environmentally conscious values that are at the heart of the business, while the use of violet reflects the changing colour of the sky at night – indicative of a commitment to service excellence 24/7. The interplay between the two colours is symbolic of a fuel tank being filled up, highlighting our clear focus on serving the needs of our customers. Meanwhile, the exclamation mark symbolises our dynamic approach to changing needs in the regions in which we operate.

Know Our Company

We have a set of core values which we believe form the basis of our business and which act as a code of conduct for us all, as we go about our working lives. Our core values are as follows:

1

Integrity – We encourage good work ethics

We encourage good work ethics and believe that our dealings with others must be done with integrity. We are fully transparent, fair, honest and upfront in all interactions.
2

Commitment To Excellence – We strive to improve and exceed expectations

We have a reputation of excellence in everything we do and we are committed to maintaining this. Our aim is to be best in class in every aspect of our business, most importantly our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards of Health & Safety right across the company. We are led by a highly respected and remarkable team, all of whom have a deep understanding of the energy industry.
3

Principled & Passionate – We take pride in our business and heritage

Although we are very modern in our approach, we are passionate about maintaining old-fashioned values and principles that ensure we are a loyal, dependable and compassionate organisation. We are service-orientated and we value relationships. We advocate and uphold high environmental standards and sustainability practices. Our focus is always our customers, whoever and wherever they may be, but we also value and support our staff – after all, if they succeed, we succeed.
4

Drive & Dynamism – We endeavour to be world class and have a “can do” attitude to get the job done

Our success has been achieved through our entrepreneurial spirit, dynamic team and lean structure. We are independent, driven and forward thinking – passionate about our products and with a perpetual quest for quality performance across the board. Our people are what make our company great and we consider them family.
5

Philanthropic – We promote a culture of generosity

Philanthropy is at the centre of our organisation. We support causes that are close to our hearts – in particular, the Prax Foundation Roots – and support and encourage a culture of generosity with our staff in their own charitable projects.

Where We Operate

The Group’s headquarters are located in London, England, with additional offices and assets strategically located across the UK. Globally, the Group has main offices in Singapore and Houston, as well as additional offices across Europe.

Integrated Supply & Optimisation

The Group specialises in the integrated supply and optimisation of crude oil and a wide range of petroleum products, including diesel, fuel oil, gas, gasoline, gasoline components, Jet A1, Avgas and bio-fuels.

Outlets

The Group distributes its products through a global supply network, serving its customers in the retail, aviation, wholesale, fuel card, marine, haulage and government sectors.

London, England – Prax Group Headquarters and Office for Europe & Africa; Weybridge, England – Office for Harvest Energy; Lincolnshire, England – Prax Lindsey Oil Refinery; Godalming, England – Office for Exploration & Production; Aberdeen, Scotland – Office for Exploration & Production
Houston, Texas – Office for the Americas
Singapore – Office for Middle East & Asia
Antwerp – Office for Harvest Energy Marine
Hamburg – Office for OIL!

Our Leadership Team

Board of Directors

Sanjeev Kumar Soosaipillai

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Sanjeev is a highly respected entrepreneur who has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy industry.  He has comprehensive knowledge of the international oil and commodities markets, and a proven track record in delivering strategic growth plans across all areas of the business.

Under his leadership, the Prax Group has evolved into an immensely successful integrated, multinational energy conglomerate. Sanjeev continues in his quest to seek durable growth for the Group and to position it at the forefront of global energy transition and sustainable innovation.

Sanjeev holds a BA Honours degree in Accounting and Finance with Computing from the University of Kent.

Julian Vickers

Non-Executive Director

Julian is CEO of the Natural Resources Global (NRG) Capital Group, and has spent over 30 years in the Natural Resources sector. His career spans Investment Banking, Management Consulting and Industry. During his career as an Investment Banker, Julian has advised on over 50 completed Acquisition and Divestment transactions in the Oil & Gas, Mining & Metals and Renewable Energy sectors, and he has developed a broad range of Equity, Debt and Structured financing experience.

Julian was Global Co-Head of Natural Resources Investment Banking for Barclays, responsible for the Mining & Metals, Oil & Gas and Chemicals businesses of the bank, and was a member of the Investment Bank’s Operating Committee in EMEA. Prior to that, Julian was Global Head of Energy Investment Banking for Citibank, where he worked in the Energy sector for 12 years.

Julian holds an MBA from the London Business School, a First-Class Honours Degree in Mining Geology from Imperial College, London, and is an Associate of the Royal School of Mines.

Mark Ware

Non-Executive Director

Mark was Executive Vice President of Vivo Energy plc, and Chairman of the Shell and Vivo Lubricants joint venture. Prior to that, he was Director of Corporate Affairs for the Vitol Group, and previously worked at BP plc for 27 years as Group Vice President in Communication and External Affairs. Under his direction, BP’s corporate brand expanded and a world class reputation was acquired in areas such as corporate social responsibility and environmental compliance. He is a trustee and board member of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Mark’s global experience working for multinational businesses operating throughout the US, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe, has equipped him with a broad geopolitical insight and significant knowledge of operating in diverse markets.

Mark holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Economics & Politics from the University of Durham.

Executive Committee

Sanjeev Kumar Soosaipillai

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Sanjeev is a highly respected entrepreneur who has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy industry.  He has comprehensive knowledge of the international oil and commodities markets, and a proven track record in delivering strategic growth plans across all areas of the business.

Under his leadership, the Prax Group has evolved into an immensely successful integrated, multinational energy conglomerate. Sanjeev continues in his quest to seek durable growth for the Group and to position it at the forefront of global energy transition and sustainable innovation.

Sanjeev holds a BA Honours degree in Accounting and Finance with Computing from the University of Kent.

Ben Lahnstein

Chief Financial Officer

Ben has more than twenty years of investment banking experience, with a career focusing on debt structuring and debt capital markets across a wide range of industries and geographies. Ben previously acted as an independent consultant, assisting clients to access capital markets, with prior roles working in high yield bond and loan capital markets at RBS, in high yield capital markets at ABN AMRO, and in debt capital markets at ING. Ben most recently worked for the Prax Group as Global Head of Corporate Finance and Treasury.

Ben is a Member of the Board of Trustees for Koning Willem Fonds (The Netherlands Benevolent Society), a charity that works to alleviate poverty amongst Dutch nationals living in the UK.

He holds an MScBA degree in Business Administration from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands.

Arani Kumar Soosaipillai

Chief Human Resources & Corporate Officer

Arani has overall responsibility for the Group’s Human Resources and has played a fundamental role in its development as the Group has grown. She oversees Human Resource strategy, policy-making processes and planning. In addition she directs employee recruitment, training and development programmes. She has more than 20 years’ relevant industry experience and is a Trustee of the Prax Foundation Roots.

Arani holds a BA Honours degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Kent.

Miguel Oleo

Chief Technology Officer

Miguel is a senior Information Technology leader with over 20 years’ experience driving strategy for business growth, and a proven track record of delivering change by building and managing high performing international teams.  Miguel has held senior positions in leading international companies such as TotalEnergies, Dun & Bradstreet and Accenture, and his industry expertise comprises energy markets and financial services.

Miguel holds a degree in Mathematics & Statistics from Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

James Foster

Managing Director – Integrated Supply & Optimisation

James has over 30 years’ experience in the energy and commodities sector, working in various trading management roles, and leading large, high performing global trading teams. Prior to joining the Prax Group, James worked at BP for 27 years, most recently as Strategic Trading Manager.  He has comprehensive knowledge of the international oil and commodities markets and a strong track record in delivering strategic growth across all areas of integrated supply and optimisation workstreams.

James holds an Honours degree in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University.

Vladimir Langhamer

Managing Director – Europe & Africa

Vladimir is a downstream energy specialist with 20 years’ broad experience in the industry. Prior to joining Prax, he previously worked for OMV – an Austrian multinational integrated oil, gas and petrochemical company, headquartered in Vienna, Austria – in a variety of roles, most recently as Managing Director and Trading Director of OMV Supply & Trading Ltd, London.

Responsible for overseeing the Prax Group’s activities across Europe and Africa, he has an in-depth knowledge of the sector, and a proven track record of successfully driving profitability and growth across the downstream value chain.

Vladimir holds a Master’s degree in International Management from CEMS (formerly the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies), and a Master’s degree in Business Administration & Management from Prague University of Economics and Business.

Charlton White

Managing Director – Americas

Charlton has over 30 years’ experience in the energy industry and is a well-respected leader with sound business judgement and a proven track record in strategic delivery.  Prior to joining the Prax Group, he was with Morgan Stanley Capital USA for 23 years, rising to Executive Director, followed by a senior trading position with Astra Oil USA.

Charlton holds an MBA from Texas A&M University and is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Maarten van Wesemael

Managing Director – Middle East and Asia

Maarten has over 20 years’ experience as a senior banker in the financial sector.  Prior to joining the Prax Group, he held senior positions at companies including BritNRG, Lloyds Banking Group and BNP Paribas. With significant sector-specific knowledge, over the course of his career, Maarten has gained vast experience in high value transactions, banking products, business development, finance and working capital solutions.  His global experience of working for multinational businesses operating throughout the US, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe has equipped him with a broad insight and a wealth of knowledge of the energy industry.

Maarten holds an LLM Master of Law degree from the University of Amsterdam.