I am pleased and honored to be a candidate for AAPG president-elect. These are exciting but uncertain times – ongoing changes in technology and society are impacting AAPG and its members, and this can only accelerate. Perhaps paradoxically these are the times that draw me more to serve, compared to when all is well and the challenges less existential. I believe that situations with significant disruption and uncertainty can be golden opportunities for a reset and fresh thinking that would not have been possible otherwise.
Whether the membership votes to merge with SPE or not, the core mission and values of AAPG must inform and guide the path forward. AAPG members have the knowledge and the credibility to help the energy industry and society navigate the significant technical, political and financial pressures we face.
My own career has benefitted greatly from AAPG; I am a member of three Divisions (DEG, DPA and EMD, where I am currently an officer) plus the AAPG Women’s Network. Beyond AAPG, I am a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and a Life Member of SPE, and have given service to both. Perhaps these multiple affiliations demonstrate the belief that there are smart people, good ideas and valuable resources all around us. An inclusive view and embrace of diverse thinking will help us find new pathways and new applications for our profession and ensure AAPG (in some form) will be there to support us. I would be excited to help build that bridge to the future.
My professional skills and experiences may be the right fit for these extraordinary times. In my career I progressed from individual contributor to team leader, manager, and finally vice president in a very large, international, rather complex organization. I have a very strong drive to efficiently find the opportunities and the friction points and then to create and implement practical, sustainable solutions.
Professional success required parallel development of:
- Technical expertise, including exploration in novel plays, production/redevelopment in mature fields, and R&D/technology development and deployment to open up better, faster, cheaper and/or totally new options.
- Financial acumen, including planning and budgetary responsibility for P&L centers >$10M and operations >$100M/year, and winning acceptance for proposals based on credible analyses.
- Global leadership, including both the “people” and soft skill side as well as strategic thinking, dealing with uncertainty and balancing multiple diverse inputs.
- Effective communication to engage with diverse constituencies and change management skills for successful implementations.
- An optimistic outlook and even temperament, because doing something new and different is hard.
Current events bring to mind the old saying/ curse/ blessing: “May you live in interesting times.” Well, those interesting times are now. Whatever the outcome of the referendum on merging with SPE, the next leaders must line up behind that decision and take positive actions to shape the very best organization possible. I look forward to delivering the full value of the membership’s decision for the benefit of our members and for society as a whole.