Powerlist2014: Kemal Anbarci, Chevron

Rank last year: 20

Kemal Anbarci became the head of Chevron Technology Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of US-based oil major Chevron, last year.

Anbarci said Chevron Technology Ventures had developed a strong position in corporate venturing because it had “stayed the course”. He said: “What makes Chevron Technology Ventures function extremely well is the continuity of the venture executives, which is key, in my view. We got in people already in Chevron for 15-plus years, so they have credibility within the company, creating a stable venture investment culture.”

Anbarci replaced Trond Unneland, who had led the unit for nearly six years. Anbarci said: “Trond told me he had the best job in the company. When the opportunity came, I enquired about it. It fitted the companies’ needs to have someone from upstream.”

Anbarci has been at Chevron for more than 22 years across many parts of the business. He has a master’s degree in operations research and a PhD in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and an MBA from University of California, Irvine. 

He also has a degree in petroleum engineering from Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.