Mr. Bseisu’s goal is to turn EnQuest into a global company, pump up the share value, maybe sell the company and live well in his new adopted country – there is no going back to Palestine. “Success is measured by your internal happiness, and I am very happy,” he says.

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL

* Born in Jerusalem in 1963, the son of a banker.

* Holds passports from Bahrain and Britain.

* Married to Suha, a Palestinian Shia Muslim (Bseisu is Sunni), who is an artist and interior decorator; they met at a wedding in Amman, Jordan.

* Two young children, a boy and a girl.

* Moving into former schoolhouse in Knightsbridge, London.

* Denies he’s a billionaire, but admits he’s “clos.e”

* Speaks English, French and Arabic.

CAREER

* Spent more than half his career at Atlantic Richfield Co. in Texas, where he pushed the company into Algeria.

* Joined oil services and engineering company Petrofac in 1998 and developed its energy investment business.

* Created EnQuest PLC in 2010 from merger of Petrofac’s and Lundin’s North Sea oil assets.

* Owns 9.5 per cent of EnQuest.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

On Israel and Palestine:

“I want the Palestinians to have the same rights as everyone else who lives there … I don’t believe in a two-state solution. I want a one-state solution with equal rights for everyone.”

On Enquest’s North Sea strategy:

“Our business model is a scavenger model.”

On why he likes the oil industry:

“It’s the juxtaposition of commercial, politics, scientific, technical. It requires a wide breadth of experience and skills.”

On oil prices:

“Much beyond $130 [a barrel] is not sustainable in the long term because it’s elastic and you would see a reduction in demand.”

On London, his adopted city:

“London is more accepting of everyone. It’s the most international city and liberal in its approach.”