Energy & Natural Resources Summit: Americas 2023

David Clark

Vice President, Head of Americas Corporate Research

Wood Mackenzie

David is a Vice President on the global Corporate Research team and heads up Americas Corporate Research. His focus is on large-cap and mid-cap US independent E&Ps, providing in depth data-driven analysis and strategic corporate insight. He has played a key role in developing corporate service product offerings, including the expansion of corporate financial data. He is based in New York City. David joined Wood Mackenzie in 2020 after an 18-year career as a sell-side research analyst, most recently as a Managing Director at Mizuho Securities USA. Prior to that he worked as a senior equity research analyst at Wolfe Research and Deutsche Bank, where he began his career and worked until 2014. Over the course of his energy research career he has focused on the global integrated majors, U.S. large- and mid-cap E&Ps, Canadian oil companies, US independent refiners and the oil market. David graduated with a B.A. degree in political science & economics from New York University, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota, and an M.B.A. from the NYU Stern School of Business. He is a CFA Charterholder.

Fraser McKay

Head of Upstream Analysis

Wood Mackenzie

Fraser McKay is an experienced Wood Mackenzie analyst, and research team leader. His focus as Head of Upstream Research is maximising the impact and quality of our research on key global upstream themes. Previous roles have included corporate development projects and research leadership. He has managed research teams focused on delivering in-depth, strategic corporate and upstream analysis. This included building-out Wood Mackenzie’s Americas upstream and corporate research capacity. In his senior roles, Fraser managed and contributed to a number of major strategic consulting projects, interacted with client executive teams and government entities at the most senior level, and presented upstream and corporate material to global audiences. Fraser joined Wood Mackenzie in 2003, initially in an upstream analyst role, whereupon he led the company’s offerings in Canada and Alaska. Fraser has played a key role in the development of Wood Mackenzie's suite of Corporate and other products, including the M&A Service, Corporate Benchmarking Tool and Mid-Cap Corporate Coverage. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Fraser worked for Schlumberger from 1995 until 2003, in various field and managerial positions and locations in the oilfield services sector.

Barbara S. de Marigny

Partner

Baker Botts L.L.P.

Barbara focuses her practice on tax structuring for transactions, with a particular emphasis on federal income tax issues arising in partnership, joint venture and alternative investment structures, including the use of partnership structures for strategic acquisitions by corporate groups, in IPOs, securities offerings and for tax equity financing. Her practice has an energy industry concentration, including transactions involving Fortune 50 corporations, master limited partnerships (MLPs), private equity investors and portfolio companies in all aspects of the energy industry, upstream, midstream, and downstream, oil field services and petrochemicals. Barbara has a particular focus on the taxation of climate and clean energy initiatives, such as the section 45Q federal tax credit for carbon capture, use and sequestration ("CCUS"), tax incentives for hydrogen energy, alternative fuel vehicles and carbon pricing proposals. She is a frequent speaker and author on section 45Q topics, including the provision of comments and testimony to the IRS on the proposed regulations and regularly advises clients on credit-maximizing structures.

Megan Hays

Managing Director & Head of Sustainable Investment and Engagement

Kimmeridge

David Brown

Director, Energy Transition Practice

Wood Mackenzie

David is a Director, Energy Transition Pracitce. He began his career with Wood Mackenzie in 2011 as an analyst covering European markets. From 2014-2016, he was posted in Wood Mackenzie's Beijing office where he led the integration of our China energy research. He presented regularly on China’s macroeconomic outlook, gas and LNG markets, and coal to gas switching goals. Leveraging his global experience across multiple areas of the energy industry, David transitioned to Wood Mackenzie’s Houston office in 2016. He is a key author of Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Transition Outlook, Accelerated Energy Transition Scenarios, and emerging technology coverage. He regularly advises strategy groups, company leadership teams, and investors on major long-term questions facing energy markets.

Ben Hertz-Shargel

Global Head of Grid Edge

Wood Mackenzie

Exercising ten years of executive experience in clean technology, Ben leads research across electrification, grid digitisation and decentralisation, distributed energy resources, and demand flexibility. Before joining Wood Mackenzie in April 2021, Ben was with retail clean energy provider Rhythm, where he was Head of Data Science and Demand Management. Prior to Rhythm he was Vice President, Advanced Grid Services and Analytics at EnergyHub. Ben is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center and serves on the External Advisory Committee of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation’s Energy and Environment Program.

Fahimeh Kazempour

Head, Grid Modernization

Fahimeh is responsible for conducting research and analysis as well as developing high-impact insights on the broader topic area of utility and grid modernization. These include the grid impact of transportation electrification, distributed solar hosting capacity, distributed energy resource integration, microgrids, and utility distribution automation. As a senior member of the Grid Edge team, Fahimeh supports Grid Edge clients’ engagement at key events and meetings. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Fahimeh was the Head of Advanced Planning at the Green Energy and Technology Centre (GRE&T Centre), the innovation hub of Alectra Utilities. At Alectra, she oversaw multiple award-winning initiatives within the portfolios of Technical Solution Design, Utility Data Analytics, Market Intelligence, and Transportation Electrification. Fahimeh holds a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Energy Systems, from the University of Toronto, where she researched modeling, analysis, and design of control structures for virtual power plants.

Julie Wilson

Director of Energy Research

Wood Mackenzie

Julie has specialised in global exploration since January 2011, following 11 years at Wood Mackenzie split between the upstream consulting and research divisions. She has worked closely with clients advising on global and local industry issues, with a recent focus on exploration strategy and performance. Julie moved to Houston from the UK in November 2000 in an upstream consulting role. She helped build the Houston consulting practice and managed a wide variety of international consulting engagements, including corporate strategies, exploration and country entry strategies, competitor analysis, gas supply and market analysis. In 2006, she moved across to research and built the Houston-based team focusing on the deepwater US Gulf of Mexico. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Julie worked in BP's upstream business for eight years in a variety of political, commercial and financial analysis roles, spanning international and domestic North Sea operations and exploration.

Craig Glazer

Vice President-Federal Government Policy

PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.

Craig Glazer serves as the Vice President--Federal Government Policy for PJM Interconnection. In this capacity, Mr. Glazer coordinates all of PJM’s regulatory and legislative policies before Congress, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions, the United States Department of Energy and other federal agencies. PJM operates the largest competitive wholesale electricity market in the world and serves over 9% of the United States population. Mr. Glazer heads PJM’s Washington, D.C. office. Prior to coming to PJM, Mr. Glazer served as Commissioner and Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. As one of the longest-serving Chairs of the Ohio Commission in its history, Mr. Glazer oversaw Ohio’s move toward deregulation of its telephone, natural gas, transportation and electric industries. Mr. Glazer served as CEO of the agency which operated with over 300 employees and a budget of $25 million. He also chaired the state’s Siting Board and served as a member of the Governor’s Cabinet.

Eugene Kim

Director, Americas Gas Research

Wood Mackenzie

Eugene Kim is a Research Director on Wood Mackenzie’s Americas Gas Research team, which covers short term and long-term market analysis and outlooks for supply, demand, pricing, and flows in North America and as part of the global gas market. Eugene previously worked at Citadel, Shell and with Millennium where he served as an oil and gas strategist managing fundamental supply-demand balances to generate trading recommendations. Prior to these commodity trading analytical roles, Eugene performed geological research for the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology and published various energy policy reviews and advocacy, oil and gas play analyses, reservoir characterizations, and carbon capture & underground sequestration (CCUS) feasibility studies. Eugene holds a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.S.E in Mineral and Petroleum Engineering from Seoul National University.

Ed Crooks

Vice-Chair Americas

Wood Mackenzie

Ed Crooks joined Wood Mackenzie in 2019 as Vice-Chair for the Americas region, based in New York. He is one of the leaders of the firm’s research into commodities, companies and global trends, with a particular focus on the Americas. He writes ‘Energy Pulse’, a weekly column on the latest developments in the business, finance, technology and politics of the industry, and hosts the podcast, ‘The Energy Gang’. Before joining Wood Mackenzie, he was an award-winning energy editor for the Financial Times, first in London and then in New York, where he wrote the popular ‘Energy Source’ newsletter. He joined the FT in 1999 as economics editor, and took over the energy team in 2006. From 1990-99 he worked for BBC News, starting as a researcher in the economics team and ending as a correspondent on radio and television. He began his career in journalism in 1988 as a reporter covering chemicals and oil companies for the Investors’ Chronicle, and also worked as an economic researcher at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. His other roles have included membership of the UK government’s Sustainable Development Commission. He has a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

Dan R. Brouillette

President

Sempra Infrastructure and former U.S. Secretary of Energy

Dan Brouillette is president of Sempra Infrastructure, a leading global energy company focused on three key development platforms: LNG and net-zero carbon solutions, renewable power, and modernized energy networks. Prior to joining Sempra, Brouillette served as the 15th United States Secretary of Energy. In this capacity, he led a workforce of 105,000 employees and federal contractors, with direct responsibility for the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal, coordination of federal energy policy, management of seventeen national research laboratories, and direction of the department’s $44 billion annual budget. He served as the President’s primary advisor on energy and nuclear matters, and was a member of the President’s National Security Council as well as the Vice President’s National Space Council. Under his leadership, the Department unveiled the world’s fastest supercomputer, developed specialized transportation fuels and photographic equipment for the Mars Perseverance Rover, launched the nation’s first quantum internet system, established the country’s first scientific laboratory dedicated exclusively to the advancement of battery storage technologies, and initiated nearly $16 billion in research on issues related to carbon management, hydrogen development, and advanced materials and chemicals science. Brouillette also served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, the chief operating officer of the department, managing nearly $38 billion of federal construction projects. Brouillette is the only person ever to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve in both roles.

John W. Ketchum

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

NextEra Energy

John Ketchum is chairman, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a leading clean energy company. He was named president and CEO in March 2022 and became chairman of the board of directors in July 2022. Mr. Ketchum is also chairman of the company’s rate-regulated electric utility Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) as well as chairman and CEO of NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), a growth-oriented limited partnership formed by NextEra Energy to acquire, manage and own contracted clean energy projects. Mr. Ketchum joined NextEra Energy in 2002. He has served as president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, a competitive clean energy supplier and the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. He has also served as chief financial officer of NextEra Energy and as chief financial officer of FPL. His previous roles at NextEra Energy Partners include president and chief financial officer. Mr. Ketchum holds a Master of Laws degree in taxation and a Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, where he was managing editor of the Law Review. Mr. Ketchum earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and finance, graduating magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona. He has also completed the Emerging CFO – Strategic Financial Leadership Program at Stanford University.

Ann-Louise Hittle

Vice President, Oils Research

Wood Mackenzie

Ann-Louise Hittle brings to Wood Mackenzie over 25 years of experience in analysing global oil markets. Her career began with Gulf Oil, where she focused on OPEC and markets in Asia. She then worked as a Middle East/Oil Markets research associate with Kissinger Associates and a Senior Oil and Gas Futures Analyst with Shearson Lehman Brothers. During her decades in the industry, Ann-Louise established an international reputation for her analyses of short- to long-term oil markets. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Ann-Louise worked at Cambridge Energy Research Associates, where she was Research Head of the Upstream Oil Service with responsibility for world oil market analysis and writing long-term scenarios. After joining Wood Mackenzie in 2003, she directed the development of the Macro Oils Service, launched in April 2005, and led it until her promotion to Vice President. In addition to overseeing the oils research team, Ann-Louise is a frequent contributor to numerous industry publications and conferences, where she shares her trusted insights on the futures of oil markets. Ann-Louise's extensive experience and deep understanding of Middle East markets make her an invaluable member of the Wood Mackenzie team. With oil markets becoming more complex due to production cuts and the growth of renewables, her guidance helps our research team provide clients with timely, accurate market outlooks.

Hector Arreola

Senior Research Analyst, Hydrogen and Emerging Technologies

Wood Mackenzie

Hector is a hydrogen-focused senior research analyst within Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Transition Practice. Hector is responsible for building asset valuation models, interpreting policies, developing long-term demand and supply outlooks, and conducting price analyses to enable the adoption of low-carbon technologies across different sectors and markets. Before his current role, Hector participated in and led numerous consulting projects across the energy spectrum with an extensive focus on Energy Transition and decarbonization strategies and initiatives. His project experience includes commercial due diligence for hydrogen production and infrastructure, energy transition scenarios and risk analysis, market studies and competitiveness analysis under different energy transition scenarios, and facilitating corporate strategies related to carbon emissions. Hector holds an MS in Energy Finance and Economics from The University of Texas at Austin and obtained his BS as Chemical Engineer from Tec de Monterrey (ITESM). He is based in Wood Mackenzie's Houston office and is fluent in both Spanish and English.

Chris Seiple

Vice Chairman, Power & Renewables

Wood Mackenzie

Chris is the Vice Chairman of Wood Mackenzie’s Power & Renewables team. He ensures thought leadership across all its research teams, helps set the strategic direction of the business, and engages with senior stakeholder engagements and relationships. Chris brings to this role 30 years of global power industry experience. Early in his career he led strategy consulting work and research teams at Cambridge Energy Research Associates which later became part of IHS, including living in Europe and running CERA’s European and Russian divisions. He then joined GE Energy Financial Service where as the SVP of Investment Strategy he helped underwrite debt and equity investments in power assets, and ultimately moved into an operational role managing a 2,000 MW portfolio of gas and coal assets, as well as overseeing the development of one of the first merchant transmission projects in the country. Most recently, Chris was part of the senior management team of Genscape where he expanded Genscape’s real-time power monitoring business into analytics and software service business through both organic growth and acquisitions. Chris came to Wood Mackenzie through its acquisition of Genscape. Chris is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Muhlenberg College with degrees in Russian Studies and Political Science and also holds a Master of Energy Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and the French Petroleum Institute. He has also completed executive leadership development programs at the University of Cambridge and at GE.

Melany Vargas

Global Head of Hydrogen Consulting

Wood Mackenzie

Melany leads the Global Hydrogen Consulting Practice at Wood Mackenzie. She has supported a number of established energy companies and new developers as they grow their footprint in or enter low-carbon H2 markets, including developing market entry strategies, screening for regions and opportunities, developing analysis and reports for policy and regulatory advocacy, and performing commercial due diligence and capital raise efforts across the hydrogen value chain. She has also supported the development of Wood Mackenzie’s proprietary hydrogen modelling capabilities across low-carbon hydrogen supply, demand and technoeconomic analysis. Melany has extensive experience solving strategic problems for clients across the energy value chain, including oilfield service companies, E&Ps, IOCs, gas and NGL infrastructure and logistics, chemicals, utilities and mining. Since 2015, she has focused her career on applying her deep expertise in fossil fuel value chains to solving Energy Transition issues, and supporting clients as they evaluate the technologies needed to achieve decarbonization targets. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie Melany worked in Accenture’s Energy Strategy practice in Houston. In 2016, she was selected to serve as the project manager and lead author for the World Energy Council’s World Energy Scenarios 2060 (published in 2016), a process that involved engagement with senior executives and policy stakeholders across all regions and parts of the energy value chain and evaluated a broad spectrum of potentially disruptive technologies. She is also currently working on a hydrogen study for the DOE on behalf of the National Petroleum Council, leading the Task Group on Integrative Economics and partnering with MIT on the modeling efforts required for all chapters of the study. Melany holds a Master of International Affairs degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs with a specialty in Energy Management and Policy. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Maryland.

Ixchel Castro

Head of Refining Assets

Wood Mackenzie

Ixchel Castro leads our Refining and Assets team, covering our research on refineries around the world through our products Petroplan and Refinery Evaluation model. Previously, she was responsible for our refined product market analysis in the Americas. She is regularly cited as an expert in Bloomberg, Reuters, BNA, Reforma, Expansion, amongst others. Ixchel joined Wood Mackenzie in 2012, covering Latin America for the Energy markets team in the Houston office. She also worked in Paris, covering Southern European markets as part of the Gas & Power team. In 2016, Ixchel joined the Oils team, leading the research practice in Mexico City and developing our analysis for Latin America, focusing on downstream and midstream. Before Wood Mac, Ixchel worked at PMI, International Trading (Pemex) in crude trading and refined product analysis. At PMI, she was responsible for fundamentals analysis of oil markets, including daily pricing of Mexican crudes. She also analyzed gasoline and distillate markets, providing market research analysis and support for the trading group. She has also worked for Energy division of the World Bank doing research on power interconnections in South America. Ixchel holds a Master in International Energy Policy from Columbia University and a BSc (Hons) in Economics and Political Science. She is based in Wood Mackenzie’s Mexico City office.

Rachel Schelble

Head of Corporate Carbon Management and Infrastructure

Wood Mackenzie

Rachel Schelble joined Wood Mackenzie’s corporate research team in 2021 as Head of Corporate Carbon Management and Infrastructure, working to develop new content offerings focused on corporate midstream and carbon management. Rachel works with oil and gas industry clients to understand the business models, emerging technologies and strategies driving the energy transition. Her research is focused on understanding the role of the evolving carbon markets, decarbonization strategies and technologies, and the unique ways that the oil and gas industry can develop low carbon solutions. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, Rachel worked at ExxonMobil for 15 years where she held multiple positions in competitor analysis, commercial negotiation, value chain integration, infrastructure development, geoscience and resource evaluation.