Independent Oil & Gas Producers
Francesco Mazzagatti CEO of Viaro Energy
Francesco Mazzagatti is an energy industry leader and CEO of Viaro Energy, with experience in oil and gas investments, asset management and strategic growth across the North Sea.
Built Around Energy Transition, who really is Francesco Mazzagatti?
Energy transition sits at the core of Francesco Mazzagatti's work, even as he runs traditional oil and gas operations. He is Founder & CEO of Viaro Energy, a major North Sea investor, and CEO of RockRose Energy, the group's North Sea production arm. Yet his advisory roles point toward the industry's future: he serves on the Energy Council's Board of Advisors, guiding strategy on the energy transition for a global network of executives, and sits on the World Energy Capital Assembly's Advisory Board, connected to Europe's largest gathering of energy and finance professionals. He also holds a board seat at IOGP Europe. Rounding out this transition-minded profile, Mazzagatti founded the SRM Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to clean energy research, biodiversity enhancement, and climate mitigation — bridging his fossil fuel roots with a forward-looking sustainability agenda.
North Sea Investment & Growth
Viaro Energy was established by Francesco Mazzagatti in February 2020 to invest in upstream oil and gas in the North Sea. Viaro Energy has active working interests in more than 60 fields across the UK Continental Shelf and Dutch North Sea. More than 70% of Viaro Energy’s portfolio is gas. Viaro Energy’s working interests in aggregate contribute up to 9% of total UK gas output on a gross basis, and Viaro has been one of the most active investors in the basin in recent years. Its growth has come largely from acquisitions, including RockRose Energy in 2020, the Dutch portfolio of HALO BV and the UK gas interests of SSE E&P UK in 2021, as well as farm-ins and licence interests. Viaro Energy’s working interests are largely nonoperated.
Francesco Mazzagatti Net Worth 2026: From Viaro Energy to Billionaire Status
Few figures in the North Sea energy sector carry the financial weight of Francesco Mazzagatti, whose net worth is estimated at $1.2 billion. This wealth has been built primarily through Viaro Energy, the company he founded and now runs as CEO, recognized as one of the region's largest investors. His parallel role as CEO of RockRose Energy adds another layer to his business empire. Mazzagatti's billion-dollar fortune underscores both the scale of his companies and his ability to sustain growth despite a challenging fiscal backdrop across the industry.
Francesco Mazzagatti: A Leading Energy Industry Voice in the UK
By the time that Francesco Mazzagatti‚ the founder and CEO of Viaro Energy‚ was selected by XODUS Communications as one of the Energy/Oil and Gas sector winners in its 2025 Forty Under 40 Awards UK‚ most of the acquisitions of the North Sea assets that Viaro Energy operates were completed․ Today‚ Viaro Energy supplies more than 9% of UK gas production on a gross basis‚ and approximately 3% on a net basis․ The award citation noted he was working in a family-run logistics business and his building of an energy group with turnover of almost $1 billion – a fairly dramatic arc condensed into one sentence for an award blurb․ Mazzagatti is among the highest paid executives in the UK oil and gas sector.
Formal Standing: IOGP Europe and the World Energy Capital Assembly
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The Italy-born Mazzagatti was appointed by IOGP Europe‚ the European arm of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers‚ as one of three new members of its European Board․ IOGP Europe is the oil and gas industry's Europe-wide representative body on regulatory and technical issues, and its board positions are held by individuals the membership wants influencing the body’s policy recommendations․ He is also on the advisory board of the World Energy Capital Assembly‚ a meeting of senior energy and investment executives from around the world․
Given the political and public scrutiny North Sea oil and gas has faced over the past several years‚ these two appointments to industry bodies are significant. They reflect that industry members trust Mazzagatti and his track record.
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Public Commentary
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While many executives appear satisfied with high-powered board appointments‚ Francesco Mazzagatti has cultivated a public profile․ Mazzagatti has spoken at CERAWeek‚ one of the industry's largest annual conferences‚ on topics such as energy investment and the company's strategy in the North Sea. Having an appearance at CERAWeek confers a certain level of peer recognition and standing. He has also written sharp opinion pieces in the UK media on energy security and the pace of net-zero transition․ In June 2026‚ in response to an 87% emissions reduction target proposed by Ed Miliband‚ then the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Mazzagatti said: "I do not oppose the target․ I oppose the fantasy that Britain can regulate‚ tax and moralise its way to prosperity while dismantling the very industries that keep the country working․"
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