About

Despite his many years spent in academia, Harald Peter Knöbl broke away from the normal path of a lawyer and opted to work directly in-house with the German subsidiary of Gaz de France (GDF), now known as Engie. He changed his field to suit mergers and acquisitions in the energy sector at a time when the general public had little focus on the subject matter. In 2006 Knöbl was invited to join the Paris headquarters of Engie as deputy head of the legal department, ‘this move was indeed the perfect combination of a new challenge (Exploration & Production (E&P)) combined with past experience (mergers and acquisitions and energy)’. Then, in late 2011, when the E&P Department was transformed into GDF SUEZ E&P International, Knöbl was recognised for his restructuring of assets and affiliates into a single holding. He proceeded to manage the sale of 30% of the holding to the China Investment Corporation. His seamless handling of a data room with over 10,000 documents, approval process in approximately 20 countries and negotiations of a completely new entity, are highly regarded and commended. Having settled the team during a cultural shift, Knöbl has also introduced synergies between the lawyers in various affiliates allowing for knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences while complementing different cultural backgrounds. In his current role as general counsel and as secretary to the board, Knöbl proves to be the diplomatic bridge between shareholders while adding value to the strategic direction of the company. ‘The overall perception of management with regards to the added value is more that with a capable legal team in place, they are on the safe side in conducting the company’s business in all its facets’.