Year - 2026

Lifetime Achievement for the Advancement of Natural Gas

Sir Frank Chapman

Former Chief Executive Officer of BG Group

Sir Frank Chapman has worked in the energy industry for over 50 years. He served as Chief Executive Officer of BG Group plc from 2000 to 2012, leading the company’s transformation into one of the world’s foremost gas-focused energy businesses. During his tenure, BG established a strong international portfolio and became one of Europe’s leading pioneers in liquefied natural gas (LNG), helping to shape the development of the global gas industry, most notably through early moves based on an expectation that the LNG value chain would become disaggregated.

Under Sir Frank’s leadership, BG recognised the growing importance of natural gas and LNG well before global demand accelerated. His strategic focus on expanding the company’s international gas portfolio, across the value chain and in diverse geographies, positioned BG as a leading force in the sector and laid the foundations for its long-term success.

Sir Frank held senior positions at BP and Shell before moving to British Gas in 1996. Following his retirement as Chief Executive at the end of 2012, he remained as an adviser until June 2013 to support the leadership transition. He joined the Board of aerospace group Rolls-Royce Holdings as a Non-Executive Director in 2011, where he served for 10 years, and has since held a number of advisory and non-executive positions.

Today, his interests in global LNG continue through his membership of the board of NextDecade Corp, which he joined in 2019. The company is developing the Rio Grande LNG plant, a 30 mtpa greenfield LNG facility in Brownsville, South Texas. He has also supported charitable initiatives through his earlier roles as a trustee and Vice Chair of Myeloma UK, where he continues today as an ambassador.

Sir Frank was knighted in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to industry. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from Robert Gordon University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of the Energy Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.