Dr. Sara Vakhshouri

Dr. Sara Vakhshouri is founder and president of SVB Energy International, a strategic energy consulting firm with offices in Washington DC & Dubai. Dr. Vakhshouri has about two decades of experience of working in the energy industry with an extensive experience in global energy market studies, energy strategy, energy security and geopolitical risk. She has consulted numerous governments, public and private entities, and international organizations like IMF & World Bank. She is also member of the Energy Task Force of the Cyprus Climate Initiative which was launched and initiated by the President of the Republic of Cyprus. She is also Professor of Energy Security at the Institute of World Politics.

Dr. Vakhshouri has been based in Washington DC since 2009 where she has advised various governments, energy companies, investment banks, financial institutions, law firms and international corporations on energy security strategies and energy transition, energy markets, trading and the geopolitics of energy, and investment patterns. She has published articles in numerous journals including The Economist, MEES, and Oil & Gas Journal. Dr. Vakhshouri has also contributed to different energy research works and studies at the IEA, Harvard University’s Kennedy School, Oxford Energy Institute, CEDIGAZ, Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center, School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University and The Economist’s Energy Intelligence Unit.

Dr. Vakhshouri has been a keynote speaker at prestigious energy conferences including the World Energy Congress, Chatham House Energy Conference, Platts Oil conferences and the Global LNG Congress.
Dr. Vakhshouri is frequently quoted and has appeared on Bloomberg, the BBC, The Financial Times, Reuters, Platts, The Wall Street Journal, Energy Intelligence, Foreign Policy, The Washington Post. She is the author of The Marketing and Sale of Iranian Export Crude Oil since the Islamic Revolution. Dr. Vakhshouri has also contributed chapters in different books and energy reports including World Energy Outlook 2018, published by the IEA. She regularly briefs energy think tanks and agencies including the EIA & IEA.

Dr. Vakhshouri has a PhD in Energy Security and Middle Eastern Studies. She has an MA in Business Management (International Marketing) and another MA in International Relations.
She has been a Senior Energy Fellow at the Atlantic Council and at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Dr. Vakhshouri has also experience of working in both public and private sectors of the Iranian energy industry.