Currently CEO of Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo e Gás (in English, Brazilian Petroleum Institute), the main industry association in Brazil, Roberto Ardenghy is a former Brazilian diplomat with over 30 years of experience in government relations, infrastructure, energy, sustainability, and oil and gas, both in private and public sectors. Ardenghy is a reference in energy discussions in Brazil and abroad, and he is a frequent speaker in international events related to energy transition, oil and gas, and investment opportunities in Brazil.
Prior to this role, in January 2019, he joined Petrobras’ new management team as chief of staff of the CEO. He was later appointed as chief executive (board member) in charge of institutional and sustainability areas, with responsibilities to oversee climate change, communications, social performance, and government affairs.
As a diplomat, he worked at different Brazilian embassies and consulates abroad (Washington DC, Buenos Aires, Houston, and New York). He also held senior positions in Brazil’s federal government in Brasilia at the Cabinet of the President (Planalto Palace) and at the Ministries of Justice, Commerce, and Development. From 2002 to 2007, he worked at the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), Brazil’s oil regulator, with different responsibilities, including chief of staff, president of the Ethics Commission, and supply and biofuels superintendent. From 2007 to 2011 he took the position of chief corporate affairs at BG Group in Brazil, an international oil company based in Rio de Janeiro. At that time he was professor of international law at Candido Mendes University and at the post-graduation program of COPPE – Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – UFRJ. Ardenghy did extensive work at the Brazilian Petroleum Institute and at the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Rio de Janeiro.
He graduated in law at the Federal University of Santa Maria and earned a master degree in diplomacy and international relations at Rio Branco Institute. He also also has a post-graduate degrees in petroleum and natural gas by Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. In 2014, Ardenghy wrote a thesis for the Advanced Studies Program at the Brazilian Diplomatic Academy about oil and gas in Brazil and the impact in the foreign policy. He is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
Ardenghy was a speaker at a Dialogue event.