PERNIX PNG Ltd announces new Direcor for Papua New Guinea Subsidiary

LOMBARD, IL — November 30, 2015 — Pernix Group has announced the appointment of former diplomat and senior public service official, Mr. Leonard Louma, as its new director for Papua New Guinea Subsidiary PERNIX PNG LTD. While making the announcement the President of PERNIX Group, Mr. Nidal Zayed, said, "Pernix Group is honored and privileged to have a person of such a high caliber and outstanding reputation to be part of Pernix family". 

Mr. Zayed, who recently visited Papua New Guinea and met with government and private sector leaders, said he is looking forward to working with Mr. Louma to help drive economic growth in Papua New Guinea by creating employment, bringing in global construction and infrastructure expertise and cutting edge building technology. Mr. Zayed confirmed that part of Pernix's plan is to secure a strategic partnership with a reputable national institution who would also invest in Pernix. This approach will ensure that corporate profits stay in and are shared by the people of Papua New Guinea. It is Pernix's intent to ensure that local interests have a significant stake in the company. "Pernix intends to be and act local and hence welcomes being treated as one", Mr. Zayed said. Mr. Louma will provide leadership and direction to the company to achieve our goals and vision in PNG. Pernix will be fully operational in PNG by January 2016.

Leonard Louma comes from Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea and has a Bachelor's Degree in Education from the University of Papua New Guinea, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Diplomatic Relations from the International Institute of Public Administration in Paris (France) and has studied in the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston (US) and undertaken specialist training for Senior Executives in National and International Security from the John F Kennedy School of Administration at Harvard University (US).

Mr. Louma has extensive knowledge and experience in National Government planning, financial management, public policy formulation and implementation as well as the attendant challenges, Government to Government relations, strategic priority setting and regional development issues and initiatives having held senior positions in the Papua New Guinea Government Public Service.

Originally a career Papua New Guinea Foreign Service Officer, having joined Foreign Affairs and Trade Department in 1981, Mr. Louma has served in the Papua New Guinea Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York and the Papua New Embassies in Paris (France) and Beijing (China). He was also Papua New Guinea's Roving Ambassador to APEC, ASEAN and ESCAP.

For seven years, between 1996 and 2002, he was APEC Senior Official for Papua New Guinea to APEC.

While in the Department of Foreign Affairs, he has also held the positions of Assistant Secretary Policy Planning Branch, Assistant Secretary International Organizations Branch, Director of Trade and Economic Affairs Branch, Director General of Trade and Multilateral Cooperation Division, Deputy Secretary (Policy) from 1996 to 1999 and Acting Secretary of the Department from December 1999 to 2002. He has been involved in the development and implementation of many regional initiatives.

After leaving Foreign Affairs in 2002, Mr. Louma joined the Office of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea as Special International Relations Adviser and was appointed Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister (2005-2007). He has also held the positions of Chairman of the National Gaming and Control Board and Chairman of the Community Benefit Fund.

Leonard Louma, while Chief of Staff, was the Papua New Guinea representative that attended the inaugural meetings of the Pacific Plan and helped in the definition of the scope of Sir Julius Chan's work. He is a member of the MSG Eminent Person Group that reviewed the MSG and defined a new Vision and Strategy for MSG Sub-Regionalism.

He is currently a Consultant to the Papua New Guinea Department of Foreign Affairs and has been specifically engaged by the Government to assist with the establishment of the Pacific ACP Secretariat and the Small Island States Office in Port Moresby. He has also been appointed as Chairman of the 46th PIF Steering Committee, charged with the responsibility of organizing the forthcoming PIF Leaders Meeting in September.