Ibrahim Fondio
Ibrahim is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of La Chorale (Abidjan-based energy trading firm). His professional career started in 1998 in the Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage as a process engineer, in charge of technical studies and projects related to safety and refinery plants improvement. He then moved to the blending department of the refinery, and managed the refinery crude supply, productions plants and storage capacities. Setting the refinery units to fit the market needs as well as blending of the refined products to comply with the legal specifications was his task during this period.
In 2002, Ibrahim joined Schlumberger Drilling and Measurements as a drilling and services engineer. Based in Cabinda, Angola, Ibrahim was supervising in real time the drilling of the wells, and was providing measurements and logging while drilling (MWD and LWD) to ChevronTexaco. This position offered him the opportunity to also work as a Drilling and Services Engineer for Schlumberger in the USA, Norway and Scotland.
Three years later, Ibrahim got the opportunity to return to the refinery in Abidjan as the Operations Manager. From 2004 to 2007, he was in charge of the commercial and maritime operations as well as the jetties and sea terminal management. During this period, Ibrahim also helped the refinery in significantly decreasing the demurrage expenses. This position was an interface between him and the international trading companies.
The quality of the job delivered by Ibrahim attracted the attention of Vitol who offered him to join the group as a commercial, marketing and business development manager for francophone West Africa. This exciting period was used by Ibrahim to develop Vitol sales in Burkina Faso from Ghana, and give access to the Coraf Fuel Oil cargoes (Congo Brazzaville).
Very impressed by Ibrahim’s profile and achievements, OANDO Supply and Trading asked him to join them and develop their business in the french-speaking West Africa. He was essentially covering countries such as Congo, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal to conclude profitable oil deals and implement business opportunities.
In 2013, Ibrahim decided to found La Chorale, a trading and services Company with two partners. This is the result of many years of experience acquired in the field along with the strong desire of his associates to take control of their destiny.
Ibrahim holds a refining engineer degree from the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP), Paris. He is fluent in French and English.
Ibrahim is passionate about travelling, architecture, interior design. He enjoys spending time with his family on the sea side, and driving sport cars. He also loves gathering with people from all origins, and learn from their culture.