While the amount of women in senior leadership is increasing, there is still a lot of work to be done to start seeing gender equality in boardrooms around the world. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions — Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. The 2023 edition reports that gender equality has recovered to pre-pandemic levels but pace of progress has slowed, and closing the overall gender gap will require 131 years.
We have collated a list of some of the women making a difference in the energy industry, impacting not only the global energy crisis but also working to close the gender equality gap.
10. Kathryn Roark, Vice President of Diversity & ESG, Patterson-UTI Energy
As one of the leading oilfield services companies in North America with products and services in other regions of the world, Patterson-UTI Energy’s success stems from the company’s ready-to-serve culture and commitment to quality and safety. Kathryn Roark has been with the company since 2015, and Vice President of Diversity & ESG since 2021.
9. Teresa Thomas, Senior Manager, Energy & Resources Practice, Deloitte
As Senior Manager, Energy & Resources Practice at Deloitte Teresa Thomas provides consultative services to energy and commodity related companies, assisting companies in assessing the impact of changes resulting from shifting regulations, new accounting standards, and capital market transactions.
8. Rachel Schelble, Ph.D., Head of Corporate Carbon Management and Infrastructure, Wood Mackenzie
Global research and consultancy group Wood Mackenzie supplies data, written analysis, and consultancy advice to the energy, chemicals, renewables, metals, and mining industries. As Head of Corporate Carbon Management and Infrastructure, Rachel Schelble is focused on corporate energy transition strategies, CCUS, venture capital and start-ups, midstream infrastructure, and carbon offsets.
7. Allison Sandlin, US Onshore Non-Operated Asset Manager, Equinor
Norwegian international energy company Equinor is active in 30 companies. The company’s US Onshore Non-Operated Asset Manager, Allison Sandlin, has been with the company for nearly six years having previously held positions at Statoil, Marathon Oil Corporation and Spectra Energy.
6. Naana Danquah Jefferson, General Counsel Americas Land, SLB
SLB is a a global technology company, driving energy innovation for a balanced planet. Within her role as General Counsel Americas Land, Naana Danquah Jefferson provides legal support for the strategy and business objectives of the Basin which covers the US Land, Canada Land, ABC (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile) and EPC (Ecuador, Colombia, Peru) GeoUnits. She is an integral member of the Basin HQ Management Team, and oversees the GeoUnit Senior Legal Counsels and Contract Managers.
5. Carrie Carson, Director, Commercial Development, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures
Carrie Carson is the Director, Commercial Development for Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, the subsidiary of international energy company Oxy that is advancing leading-edge technologies and business solutions that economically grow the business while reducing emissions. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Houston Producers Forum, a non-profit organisation providing a unique forum for those in the energy sector to connect with peers and hear unique insights firsthand from industry leaders.
4. Yuliya Olsen, Associate Partner for McKinsey & Co's Global Energy & Materials Practice, McKinsey & Company
Yuliya Olsen has been at McKinsey & Company since 2016 and is now Associate Partner for the firm’s Global Energy & Materials Practice. Her work focuses on counselling oil and gas clients across the value chain (from E&P to fuel retail) and Energy Investors on strategy, operational improvement, and digital.
She is also Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee for Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE GCS Gulf Coast Section.
3. Barbara Baumann, Chair of the Board of Directors, Devon Energy Corporation
Barbara Baumann the Board of Directors for Devon Energy Corporation in January 2014 and was appointed Board Chair in January 2023, having built her career at Amoco Corp. (now BP). Devon Energy Corporation is a leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Devon's operations are focused onshore in the United States. Now, she is president of the energy advisory firm Cross Creek Energy Corp., a director of National Fuel Gas Co. and an independent trustee of the Putnam Mutual Funds.
2. Carmen Millet, Associate Director, Head of US Energy, Natural Resources and Chemicals Industry Marketing, KPMG
Carmen Millet is Associate Director, Head of US Energy, Natural Resources and Chemicals Industry Marketing at KPMG, one of the world's leading professional services firms providing consulting, audit, tax and advisory services to the world's largest organisations. She has also been a board member at The Nature Discovery Centre since 2019, and has worked with the Junior League, of both Toronto and Houston, since 2007.
1. Heetal Patel, Senior Corporate Advisor, ExxonMobil Corp.
Heetal Patel has been working at ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies, for nearly 15 years. As Senior Corporate Advisor, she is responsible for the development and execution of a $1 billion project portfolio for Exxon Mobil’s downstream and chemical manufacturing sites in Los Angeles, US.
Alongside her role at ExxonMobil, Patel has served on the Emerging Leaders Steering Committee of Spindletop Community Impact Partners — a nonprofit whose purpose is to enhance the lives of at-risk youth through funding and volunteering from the energy industry — since 2018.
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