Mario R. Thiem

Mario R. Thiem has been the Undersecretary for Mining Development at the Secretariat of Mining of the Ministry of Economy of the Argentine National Government since September 1, 2024.

Dr. Thiem earned his law degree from the University of Buenos Aires in 1982 and, in 1995, obtained an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas, United States. In addition, Dr. Thiem is a member of the International Bar Association (IBA) and the Association of International Energy Negotiators (AIEN).

Throughout his professional career, he has worked at major companies in the oil and gas sector, including YPF and Chevron. He has also served on Boards of Directors and Supervisory Committees of oil and petrochemical companies.

Before assuming his current office, he worked as a consultant specializing in Natural Resources Law, with a particular focus on oil and gas, energy, and mining. His experience includes the negotiation of (i) concessions, licenses, and joint venture agreements with national, state, and provincial governments and their respective state-owned companies; (ii) joint operating agreements, farm-in and farm-out agreements, and hydrocarbon purchase and sale agreements with private and state-owned companies; and (iii) project financing.