Dael Dervishi

Mr. Dael Dervishi, one of the firm’s founders, who returned to Optima on September 2017, has strong expertise in energy and natural resources.

He is the former Executive Director of the National Agency of Natural Resources in Albania. In this role, Mr. Dervishi supervised the development of Albania’s mining, hydropower, and upstream oil & gas. He oversaw reform of the country’s mining sector, which has been largely informal. He previously served as Director of the Legal Department in Albania’s National Agency of Natural Resources and was General Secretary for the Albanian Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Energy.

Mr. Dervishi is a member of the global network of McCain Institute for International Leadership located in Washington DC and has been working with the George W. Bush Institute in Dallas, Texas in a project that aims to reform the Albanian natural resources sector to stimulate the economy and promote transparency in government. Mr. Dervishi is also a McCain Institute certified trainer on values, ethics, and character-driven leadership.

In March 2018, Mr. Dervishi has been elected to the Board of Directors of American Chamber of Commerce in Albania (AmCham).