Engr. Celestine Kaine Cliffe, FNSE – Executive Director, Business Development

Engr. Cliffe is widely recognized as a highly accomplished Oil & Gas industry executive with exceptional leadership skills and esteemed international exposure. Throughout a career that spans over 32 years, he has garnered a reputation as an innovative, result-oriented and visionary leader in the global Oil & Gas industry.

In over three decades in the industry, he has held various roles that span 4 continents and 14 countries including prime energy markets such as the United States of America (Gulf of Mexico), United Kingdom (North Sea), Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Cameroun, Ivory Coast, Chad, Sao Tome, and Yemen.

Engr. Cliffe is the Executive Director, Business Development of Cakasa (Nig) Company Limited – a leading indigenous EPC company. He began his career at Schlumberger as a Field Engineer and rose through the ranks in multiple positions, ascending rapidly over the years and ultimately rising to the C-suite to become the first – ever Nigerian Managing Director of Schlumberger, Drilling& Measurements since the company’s operations in Nigeria. Under his leadership, the leading global multinational corporation enjoyed dominant market share and recorded the highest rig count, revenue, and profitability in the operating history of the company in Nigeria.

In subsequent roles, he contributed to various organizations including as the Group Chief Operating Officer of Oilserv, Executive Director of Drillpet International Limited, and as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kailex Oil and Gas Limited.

Celestine is a 1990/1991 session First Class graduate of Chemical/Petrochemical Engineering from the Rivers State University and was the Valedictorian of the session. Also, he holds Masters of Business Administration from the prestigious Lagos Business School. Engr Cliffe is an Alumnus of Harvard Business School and has attended numerous executive and leadership trainings in leading institutions, globally.

Celestine Cliffe is a registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and a distinguished member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) respectively and a registered professional of Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria.

His long list of honors includes the following:

  • The prestigious Outstanding Engineers Award from the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), Port Harcourt branch.
  • Schlumberger Drilling & Measurement President’s award as the best

    performing Operations Manager globally.

  • Numerous letters of commendation from clients for outstanding service delivery.
  • Best graduating student of 1990/91 session of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt.