Dr. Fatih Birol is Chief Economist and Head of the Economic Analysis Division of the Paris-based International Energy Agency. He is organiser and director of the World Energy Outlook series, the IEA’s flagship publication. He is also responsible for providing regular briefing to the Executive Director and Governing Board of the IEA on the economic impact of energy market and industry developments.

The World Energy Outlook series is widely recognised as the most authoritative source for forwardlooking energy market analysis. More than twenty IEA analysts contribute to the publication, which also benefits from the input of distinguished energy and climate change experts from around the world. In recent years, the World Energy Outlook has received a number of honours for analytical excellence. These have included awards from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the United States Department of Energy and numerous private organisations.

A Turkish citizen, Dr. Birol was born in Ankara in 1958. He earned a BSc degree in power engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul. He received his MSc and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna. He worked for six years in the Secretariat of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, before joining the IEA in 1995. He is a regular contributor of articles on international energy analysis and policy and delivers numerous speeches around the world each year.

In June 2005, Dr Birol received the International Association of Energy Economics' Outstanding Contributions to the Profession Award. In October 2006 he was made a Chevalier dans l'ordre des Palmes Academique by the French Government in recognition of his distinguished services to the field of energy economics. In March 2007 he was presented with the Golden Honour Medal of the Austrian Republic in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the understanding of global energy issues.