38 CORPORATE VISION / March 2017 , Filippo Fantachi is the CEO of Contax Partners and was recently awarded the title of CEO of the Year 2016 – Bahrain. He tells Corporate Visionmore about the firm. Feeling Energised Since its inception in 1985, Contax Partners has been recognised as a leading provider of project data, research, strategic analysis, risk and growth advisory and business development services to the Middle East energy and energy-related industry. For more 30 years, the firm has been working with national and international oil companies, contractors, subcontractors, service providers, equipment manufacturers, as well as, government agencies, investment banks and private equity firms. Chief Executive Officer, Filippo Fantachi, has been in the industry for more than 20 years. He tells us more about the business, its ongoing strategy and what it is exactly that sets the firm apart from competitors. “Contax Partners has two distinct service lines that set us apart from the other energy research and consulting firms in the region,” he begins. “Our core business is business advisory that provides research and consulting services to companies working in or looking to enter the regional energy industry. This activity also involves business development work that we do for our clients post completion of consulting pieces of work. The other line of business is Business Investments, in which Contax Partners takes an equity stake in upcoming and new technologies within the energy sector that show strong potential for growth. The investment arm is supported by the advisory team from an in-house research and consulting aspect. “Our ability and commitment to see projects through by providing assistance via our business development efforts, investing our own money, or raising funds for business ventures that we strongly believe in, make us stand apart from our competition. “Our strategy is to continue growing our existing business lines while constantly looking for services and geographies that offer good opportunities for diversification and expansion. Our acquisition of an engineering and design firm from Europe in late 2016 is in line with this strategy.” The energy industry within the Middle East has seen several peaks and troughs and, in its 30-year history within the sector, Filippo has witnessed first-hand, several positive and negative impacts to the business and has had to constantly adapt in order to stay ahead of the game. “Over time we have built a very strong reputation within the market and developed a robust mechanism that has sound data and analysis at the core of its strategy. With the regional O&G market moving towards adhering to international standards, we are witnessing a larger influx of new players and a greater requirement for strong compliance, all of which has had a positive impact on our business. While the market has gotten more price conscious, our diversification into other services and geographies has helped us navigate through the tough times and has allowed us to take advantage of new opportunities that present themselves.” Technological advancement within the energy sector, like in many other businesses, has revolutionised the entire sector. Countries such as the United States that have historically been net importers of crude are now using their technological advantage to become significant global energy producers, thus shifting the global energy balance. “As an advisory firm, our use of technology is rather limited to our database and the new technologies that we invest in,” embellishes Filippo. “Given that the core focus of our business investment arm is to invest and promote new technologies within the energy industry, we have the added responsibility of educating and promoting these technologies with key users in the market. While adoption rate is slow and gradual, our responsibility as being a socially and environmentally aware company adds to our mandate of promoting new and efficient technologies.” Filippo may be an award-winning CEO, but he is quick to praise the efforts of his strong, talented and hard-working team. “They make my job simpler and more enjoyable. Given that we are a small company in size, making sure that the company retains a “family” like feeling is important in order to keep the morale high, even during the difficult times. This also shows in the low employee turnover that we have had over the course of the 30 years. On average, our employees have been with us for over four years, which is a strong testament to the inclusive culture of our company.” With regards to the future, Filippo sees the firm as a well-diversified energy company with individual profit centres that support the overall growth of the company. “I continue to see myself actively involved within the company from a strategic perspective, supporting the growth and vision of Contax Partners and contributing directly with sales and execution roles where applicable. I would love to see this being replicated in other markets that require these services.” K Company: Contax Partners Name: Filippo Fantachi Email:
[email protected] Web Address: www.contaxpartners.com Address: Office 241, 19th floor, Platinum Tower, Seef District, Manama, Bahrain Telephone: +973 17 224456 1702CV27