Dr. Markus Harting.
Dr. Markus Harting is an international energy executive, entrepreneur and corporate strategist with more than 25 years of experience building, financing and growing businesses across the conventional energy, renewable energy and energy-transition sectors. Combining deep subsurface expertise with commercial leadership, transaction experience and corporate governance, he has worked for and advised international energy companies, governments, institutional investors, private equity firms, family offices and sovereign stakeholders throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
At Catoxy Energy
As Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Catoxy Energy, Markus leads the company’s corporate strategy, investment activities, international growth and platform development. He is building an integrated geothermal energy company focused on developing, optimising and operating reliable geothermal and related energy infrastructure — designed to deliver baseload electricity, industrial heat, cooling and, where commercially viable, hydrogen for utilities, municipalities, industrial customers and energy-intensive facilities, including next-generation data centres.
Career
Throughout his career, Markus has worked across the entire energy value chain, leading projects from frontier-basin evaluation, new-venture screening and country-entry strategies through exploration, appraisal, field development, production, monetisation, portfolio optimisation and corporate transformation. His experience spans both conventional and low-carbon energy businesses, giving him a distinctive perspective on the evolution of global energy markets and on the application of established subsurface and operating capabilities to emerging energy technologies.
Markus has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, business development and corporate growth. He has originated, structured, negotiated and executed numerous cross-border transactions across multiple jurisdictions, combining rigorous technical evaluation with commercial, financial and strategic analysis. His transaction experience encompasses technical and commercial due diligence, reserves and resource evaluation, economic modelling, project financing, corporate structuring, risk management, commercial negotiations and transaction execution.
Over the course of his career he has secured growth capital, structured strategic partnerships, executed complex transactions and created long-term shareholder value through disciplined investment, operational optimisation and value-driven corporate growth. He has consistently focused on identifying technically robust but undervalued opportunities and transforming them into scalable commercial businesses and investment platforms.
Originally trained as a geologist and geochemist, Markus bridges subsurface science and executive decision-making. That scientific background, combined with decades of commercial and corporate leadership, allows him to evaluate technically complex opportunities, quantify risk, optimise investment decisions and formulate strategies that support sustainable long-term value creation.
In parallel with his conventional energy experience, Markus has been actively involved in the energy transition for more than two decades. His work has included geothermal energy, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, hydrogen, renewable-energy integration, industrial decarbonisation, energy storage, sustainable infrastructure and ESG-related corporate transformation. This multidisciplinary experience allows him to assess and commercialise technologies capable of delivering attractive financial returns while supporting energy security and meaningful environmental outcomes.
Recognised for combining scientific expertise with commercial execution, Markus is an experienced company builder and strategic adviser, capable of navigating technically complex and capital-intensive projects from initial concept through financing, development and commercialisation. His leadership philosophy emphasises disciplined capital allocation, rigorous risk management, operational excellence, strong corporate governance and the creation of sustainable long-term shareholder value. In recognition of his contribution to the energy industry, he was awarded Energy Sector CEO of the Year 2024 – Middle East.
Earlier roles
Earlier in his career, Markus held senior technical, commercial, asset-management, new-ventures and corporate-strategy positions with leading international organisations, including Shell, Schlumberger, Vermillion, Petronas and DNO. In these roles he contributed to international growth strategies, portfolio development, asset optimisation, country entry, joint-venture governance and major investment decisions across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.
He subsequently held executive, board and advisory positions across international exploration and production companies, energy-infrastructure businesses, consulting firms and technology ventures. Markus was a founding member of Diakrino Ltd., one of Africa’s early integrated energy, transportation and carbon-capture companies, and of the DGC Group, which subsequently evolved into Dubai-based ETC, an international energy consulting firm.
He also served as Vice President and Board Member of UK-based exploration and production company OGE Ltd. and was a founding Board Member of Huma Oil & Gas Ltd. He founded, financed and led MPP-Energy LLC as Chief Executive Officer. He later founded Oryx Global Advisors LLC in Dubai, where, as Chief Executive Officer, he advised clients on strategic transactions, investments, capital formation and international business development across the global energy and technology sectors.
Boards & affiliations
Markus currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Holos Aqua Ltd. and Kareda S.A., and participates in advisory boards and strategic committees across the international energy industry. He maintains active relationships with professional organisations and industry networks, including the Association of International Energy Negotiators, the Continental Europe Energy Council and the Middle East Scout Group. Through these roles he has developed an extensive international network spanning senior corporate executives, government institutions, investors, financial markets, technology providers, engineering companies and strategic industry partners.
Education
Markus holds a Diploma with Honours in Petroleum Geology and Paleontology and a Doctor of Science degree, Dr. rer. nat., specialising in Geochemistry and Mineralogy, from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at Princeton University in the United States, further strengthening the scientific foundation that continues to underpin his strategic, investment and commercial leadership.