Sofia: From a 13-month contract at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 1995 to the head of the institution whom world leaders turn to for guidance, Fatih Birol plays a dominant role in shaping global energy politics in an era of heightened energy insecurity, geopolitical fragmentation, and clean transition. After working for 20 years at different positions at the IEA, the Turkish energy economist has been leading the institution since 2015 as the executive director. The Paris-based organization’s forecasts and scenarios influence investment decisions worth billions, and its warnings can unsettle governments.
According to Anadolu Agency, Birol was born in Ankara in 1958 to a military doctor and a housewife, describing a childhood marked by family cohesion. His father worked multiple jobs to support the household. Birol recalls, ‘We were known as the happy family.’ He spent his childhood between family, school, and playing football in the streets. At Istanbul Technical University, he studied electrical engineering despite his father’s wish that he becomes a doctor, and he states that he was ‘almost average.’ He believes that loving one’s work is the key to success.
Initially, Birol’s ambitions were unrelated to energy economics. He was interested in cinema, making short films and working as an assistant director before moving to Vienna to attend Film Academy. Financial realities led him to take manual jobs, and a scholarship from the Austrian government redirected him toward energy economics. He received an MSc and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna.
Birol’s career took a significant turn when he joined OPEC as an oil analyst, but he found the role limiting. Driven by a desire to work on global issues, especially those affecting developing countries, he left a permanent role for a 13-month contract at the IEA. He joined the IEA at an entry-level position in 1995, and the same year, an election for executive director was underway. Birol aspired to lead the IEA one day.
Over the years, he rose to chief economist, and in 2015 became the agency’s first internal candidate to be elected executive director by unanimous vote. He was reelected for a third term in 2022. On the day of his election in 2015, he called his mother, whom he still speaks to every morning, to share the news.
Despite receiving international honors such as France’s Legion of Honour and the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, Birol values personal happiness, especially making his mother happy. His tenure at the IEA coincides with a decade where energy security, climate policy, and great-power rivalry converge. He regularly meets world leaders to share the IEA’s forecasts.
Birol emphasizes the importance of data, stating that the IEA’s authority rests on numbers rather than ideology. Beyond energy, Birol is passionate about Galatasaray, a football club in Istanbul. He often schedules around match fixtures and watches games regardless of time zones.
His daily routine starts early with Turkish tea, specifically Rize tea. Most of his day is filled with meetings. Birol notes the deep intertwining of energy and geopolitics, stating that geopolitics casts a shadow over energy. His philosophy of hard work has taken him from the streets of Vienna to the core of global energy diplomacy, showing how a 13-month contract can influence an institution and industry.
At 67, with more than four decades in the field, Birol advises younger professionals to align passion with economic stability, arguing that both are necessary for a sustainable career.