Houston Conference 2025

Senthil Arcot

Digital Transformation Advisor, Azo Global

With more than 20 years of experience transforming business strategies into results-driven enterprise solutions, Senthil Arcot has proven track record modernizing energy industry operations through fit-for-purpose, next-generation technologies. His career bridges strategy and execution—bringing innovative, scalable systems to complex production operational landscapes.

Arcot has led digital transformation initiatives across the energy sector, aligning stakeholders, justifying investments, and delivering solutions that unlock measurable business value. From program and change management to technical advisory roles, he brings a cross-functional, end-to-end view to every engagement.

As Managing Director at Azo Global, he spearheaded multiple intelligent energy projects for various oil production companies that redefined digital capabilities in upstream operations and he has led the evolution of legacy engineering software into cloud-based platforms. 

By integrating automation, analytics, and stakeholder alignment, Arcot consistently drives breakthrough performance—from production optimization and tank management to surveillance and field development planning.

 

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Dr Nimi Abili PhD, MBA, CEng, CMarEng, FIMarEST

Chairman, IMarEST Houston (US Gulf Coast) Branch, IMarEST

Dr. Abili is an Internationally Experienced Chief Technology Officer, Energy Transition Leader, Digital Technology Strategist and Management Advisor, accomplished in operating commercially within the Energy, Marine and Digital industry. He is a dynamic and proactive Energy Transition Adviser and Engineering Project Consultant, who excels at developing low carbon solutions to accelerate clean energy adoptions and commercial evaluations, with more than 2 decades of leadership experience on project value drivers across the value chain. Prowess in minimizing project costs while delivering results in advance of scheduled deadlines. Dr. Abili is actively involved in decarbonization projects, new energies, offshore & Onshore renewable wind, deepwater field developments, intelligent operations, cutting-edge green technology innovations, value engineering, digital and techno-economic enablement, strategic business development, financial risk management, policy formulations, and management of multi-disciplinary teams in the Energy Industry. Throughout his career, he has overseen the completion of multiple CAPEX projects valued at over $12 billion in growth opportunities and cash flow.

Dr. Abili holds a PhD in Energy & Power and MSc in Subsea Engineering from a prestigious school at Cranfield University, England; an MBA in Energy at Middlesex University London, England; and a BEng in Electronic & Electrical Engineering (Hons) at the University of Sunderland, England. He has working experience with Major IOCs, including Shell, Eni International, Schlumberger, and top management consulting, as a Chief Advisor, covering several Oil & Gas, FPSO, Offshore Renewables, CCUS, hydrogen, Smart Grid, LNG and FLNG development projects, etc. Dr. Abili is well-travelled internationally on energy development projects with regional executive experiences across UKCS, Norway, Germany, Italy, France, Americas, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa (East & West Africa), particularly on Greenfield, Brownfield, Marginal field developments in onshore and offshore energy assets, and digital enablement across the enterprise ecosystems.

Dr. Abili is the Chairman of IMarEST Houston (US Gulf Coast) Branch and Offshore Oil & Gas Special Interest Group (OOGSIG). He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Chartered Marine Engineer (CMarEng) and a Fellow of the Institute of Marine, Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST). Dr Abili is a Council Member, Board of Trustee & Membership Committe with the IMarEST UK, charged with governance, leadership, assessment of membership, Chartered Engineers, Chartered Scientists and Fellows through the Institute’s Royal Charter, the UK Engineering and Science Council. He has published several international journals and made major international oil and gas conference presentations, such as in Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC), Deep Offshore Technology (DOT) International Conference, Offshore West Africa (OWA) Conference and Subsea UK, as a Thought-Leader and Speaker, where he bagged 3 international industrial 'Best Awards', and has been a reviewer for top international journals, including Journal of Marine Engineering & Technology (JMET) of the IMarEST. Dr. Abili has a passion for executive coaching, mentorship, and distinctive leadership development with transferable skills.       

                   

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Cosmin Bozenovici

Vice President, Technical - Offshore, International Registries, Inc. (IRI) / The Marshall Islands Registry

Mr. Bozenovici joined IRI as Vice President, Technical - Offshore in April 2018. Based in Houston, Mr. Bozenovici is responsible for business development in the offshore sector and oversees the technical service and support functions for Republic of the Marshall Islands-flagged offshore vessels around the world. Prior to joining IRI, Mr. Bozenovici spent seven years with Noble Corporation, which owns and operates a technologically advanced fleet in the offshore drilling sector. As their Lead Naval Architect and Project Manager, Mr. Bozenovici’s team was responsible for engineering and project support of the entire existing fleet, four new ultra-deepwater drillships, and six latest generation jack-up units. Prior to working with Noble Corporation, he spent five years with American Bureau of Shipping in various marine surveying and engineering roles in Houston, Rio de Janeiro, and Singapore. Mr. Bozenovici earned an M.B.A. from Temple University and a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the University of New Orleans.

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Roger A. Burnison CEng. CMarEng. FIMarEST

Director & Consultant Engineer

Joined the Institute in 1968.  Spent the first years in the development and maintenance of hull automation systems aboard a wide range of vessel types – oil and product tankers, stability systems for Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODU’s) and FPSO’s (hull and turret controls).

He lived in Spain for 14 years as well as working in Europe, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

In 1996 he and the family moved to Venezuela. There he established an oilfield measurement services company which eventually led to a 4 year stay in Brazil as Project Director of major upgrade offshore measurement projects - completed in 2008.

Since 2010 he has been resident in Houston, Texas providing professional engineering consultancy services.  Several years were devoted to the on-going development of guidelines covering the fiscal measurement of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons before accepting, in 2017, an appointment at Cameron Schlumberger to provide high level measurement consultancy.

Upon the formation of the SLB/Rockwell Automation joint venture company Sensia LLC in October 2019 he was responsible for the delivery of Intelligent Measurement Solutions, prior to retiring in January 2024.

Roger remains an active member of IMarEST & Secretary of the Oil & Gas Special Interest Group (OOGSIG).  He also participates in API Committee on Petroleum Measurement

He was appointed Honorary British Consul, San Cristobal, Venezuela, between 1998-2012.

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Professor Stephen de Mora FIMarEST

President, IMarEST

Professor Stephen de Mora CSci CMarSci FRSA FIMarEST is the President of the IMarEST. Educated in chemistry and oceanography, he obtained a BSc from the University College of Swansea and a PhD from UBC, Vancouver. He has taught chemistry, environmental science, and oceanography at universities in the United Kingdom (University of Lancaster), New Zealand (University of Auckland) and Canada (Université de Québec a Rimouski). After a 20 year career in academia, he joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Marine Environment Laboratory in Monaco.

Through the IAEA, he worked with several Regional Seas Programmes and Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects around the world. Steve was awarded a Distinguished Service Award in the year that the IAEA was a co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in 2005. Before returning to the UK to take up the position at Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) in 2008, he had established an environmental consultancy based in Canada working for various UN bodies and the World Bank on assignment mostly in Eastern Europe, Western Asia and Central Africa. Steve has retired as the Chief Executive of both the Plymouth Marine Laboratory and PML Applications Ltd and now works as an independent environmental consultant.

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Ola Drange Veglo

Business Development AI & Digital Trust , DNV

Ola Drange Veglo is a naval architect with a background in maritime consulting at DNV. In recent years, his work has focused on venture development and the application of artificial intelligence within the maritime domain. Combining technical domain knowledge with experience in innovation and digitalization, Ola works at the interface of emerging technologies and practical industry needs, with a particular interest in the evolving role of intelligent systems in shipping and offshore operations.

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Cinnamon Edralin

Americas Research Director , RigLogix

Cinnamon is Americas Research Director for RigLogix and has been covering the offshore rig market since 2006. She began her career with ODS-Petrodata, which was acquired by IHS (later becoming IHS Markit), where she managed the Americas offshore rig team, along with the Americas marine team and the US/Canada land rig team. Cinnamon then moved to Esgian, where she helped raise brand awareness for offshore rig services, along with supporting offshore wind. She joined Westwood in 2023 and provides support for the subsea team in addition to her rig analyst duties. Cinnamon holds a BA in Liberal Arts from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

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Dr Medhat El Nahas Ph.D

Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology , University of Houston

Dr. Medhat El Nahas is an Instructional Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology at the University of Houston. He served as the Coordinator of the Mechanical Engineering Technology Program at the University of Houston from 2015 to 2019, where he led the program to reach its peak enrollment (874 students). Medhat holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from his native country, Egypt. After coming to the US, Medhat earned another MS in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University, and then a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Houston. Medhat is an elected senator at the University of Houston Faculty Senate and an elected member in the University of Houston Undergraduate Committee.    

Medhat has served the University of Houston since January 2007. Prior to joining the University of Houston, Medhat worked as a maintenance engineer, production engineer, research engineer, and research scientist. His research experience includes working at the National Research Center (NRC) & The City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications (CSRTA) in Egypt for 7 years. He then worked at the National Research Council (CNR) in Italy for 2 years. Medhat’s current research focuses on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as a design tool for engineering systems and applications. He also is very interested in designing systems to utilize solar, wind, and biomass energy. He, so far, has served as an advisor and/or examiner on twelve (12) Master defense committees & four (4) Ph.D. defense committees held in the Cullen College of Engineering at University of Houston.

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Michiel Heuven

Vice President, Key Accounts , SBM Offshore

Michiel Heuven is Vice President, Key Accounts at SBM Offshore. He joined SBM Offshore in 2011 as Project Manager where he acquired experience in international projects. In 2015 he then took roles in Operations Readiness and Operations Management and in 2018 he was appointed Head of Operations North America & Guyana. He then moved to Commercial management in 2022 where he held positions as Global Operations Commercial Manager and VP Business Development. Michiel has over 25 years of experience in the Energy industry, having held positions for SBM offshore in the US, Singapore and Nova Scotia, Canada.

Prior to being at SBM, he worked at various Keppel shipyards around the world managing large oil and gas construction projects. Michiel has a degree in Naval Architecture from Hogeschool Inholland, Netherlands.

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Rajni Jaipaul

Digital Transformation AI Specialist

Rajni Jaipaul is an accomplished AI enthusiast and program manager with over 20 years of experience leading multimillion-dollar technology transformation initiatives across diverse industries. Rajni specializes in identifying and implementing AI solutions that drive measurable operational excellence.

With an MBA from UT Austin's McCombs School of Business and extensive experience at leading organizations including Dell, Accenture, and Fiserv, Rajni brings a unique perspective to AI implementation strategy. His background spans supply chain optimization, revenue cycle management, and complex systems integration—giving him deep insight into the operational challenges that AI can solve across industries.

Rajni has developed practical frameworks for helping organizations navigate the transition from traditional workflows to intelligent, automated systems. His "3 Rs Framework" for identifying AI opportunities focuses on Repeatable processes, Resource-intensive tasks, and Rule-based operations—a systematic approach that has helped teams uncover high-impact use cases while building sustainable AI programs through incremental wins.

Rajni is passionate about bridging the gap between AI technology and real-world business value. He specializes in helping organizations prioritize AI investments based on cost impact, accuracy improvements, and productivity gains, ensuring that digital transformation initiatives deliver tangible results rather than just technological novelty.

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Dr Paul Jukes PhD, CEng, CMarEng, FIMarEST

Technical Manager – Pipelines & Flowlines, 2H

Obtained a Honours Degree in Mechanical and Structural Engineering (BEng Hons), a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and a Doctorate in Structural Engineering (PhD). 

Over 25 years of experience in the Oil & Gas industry.  Previously the Group Managing Director for MCS Kenny, a Division of wood (formerly Wood Group).  Currently the Director of Engineering for Pond & Co. in Houston.

Joined the IMarEST as a Graduate Member in 1998, Member and a Chartered Engineer in 1999, and became a Fellow in 2005.  Honorary Secretary for the South East England Branch (SEE) of IMarEST (1999-2005) and Chairman for the ‘IMarEST Young Members Network’ (2005).  Past Regional Co-ordinator for the Young Marine Professional (YMP) (1999-2002), and judge for the SET Awards (2003-2005).  Previously Chairman of the Houston Gulf Coast Branch (2006 – 2012).  Council Member (2010-2013).  Board of Trustees (2007-2012).  Obtained President’ Commendation Award in 2006.

Coauthor of the ‘Encyclopedia of Maritime and Offshore Engineering’ jointly with Carlton, J., and Sang Y, Wiley Books, March 2018.

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Rajnish Kelkar CEng, FIMarEST

Vice Chair, IMarEST Houston (US Gulf Coast) Branch

Rajnish Kelkar is a Houston, TX based Maritime executive. He has international experience in management, operations, assurance and safety roles in Oil, Gas, Energy and Maritime industries. He is currently the Global lead for Environmental, Energy and Regulatory Programs at Excelerate Energy, Texas, USA, where he is engaged in various new FSRU terminal development projects and in managing environmental, energy management & global maritime regulatory compliance programs and initiatives in the FSRU fleet and Regas Terminals.  Prior to this he was the Marine Projects Manager for the Jordan Cove LNG Marine export terminal in Coos Bay Oregon.  His main accountabilities were to lead the marine team and manage the JCLNG project marine interfaces and budget by working with the EPC contractor, the local, National & International stakeholders, Government Agencies, LNGC Owners/Operators, and other contactors.

After completing his Marine Engineering training at the Indian Maritime University, Rajnish served on large ocean going tankers, initially with Chevron Shipping Corporation, USA before joining Vancouver based Teekay Shipping Ltd., where he rose to the rank of a Chief Engineer. In his career till 2009 with Teekay, he also served in various management roles ashore in Teekay’s Vancouver (Canada) based headquarters. During this time, he was accountable for Fleet Performance Management, Maintenance Management, Condition, Risk and Reliability Improvement programs, Maritime Safety and Legislation, Oil Spill and Emergency Response and various Safety, Quality and Environmental programs, projects, and budgets for a fleet of over 150 vessels (oil, product, and LNG).

From 2009 to 2016 Rajnish was the Director, Maritime and Global Shipping HSSE, Asset Integrity and Risk Management at BG Group in Houston, TX. In this role he was the Functional Head of Maritime, HSSE, and process safety disciplines, with an accountability to provide leadership, SME input and assurance for all maritime activity across BG Group globally. This role spanned over marine operations in 10 different BG locations, projects and countries and covered ~150 different sites/assets including 28 LNG Carriers, 8 terminals, 10 oil and DP Shuttle tankers, 100+ offshore vessels including LSVs and tugs/barges.

Rajnish is a Chartered Engineer and holds a Class 1 Marine Engineering Officer international license equivalent to a BS degree in Marine Engineering. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (FIMarEST-UK) and the Vice Chair of its US Gulf Coast Branch. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (FIE) and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in business administration (project management) from the Henley Business School, Oxfordshire, UK.

His passions outside of work include travel, raising funds for local charities, theatre, and music.

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Erik Leung

AI Leader & Co-Founder of Amplifai and Simplifai

Erik Leung is a seasoned AI leader and co-founder of Amplifai and Simplifai, with over 20 years of experience turning AI into business results. He has led the development of enterprise-ready AI platforms—most notably Simplifai’s no-code Digital Employees—used to automate millions of tasks across industries. Erik is a trusted advisor to senior leaders on AI adoption, with deep expertise in data strategy, change management, and scaling AI solutions from pilot to production. A thought leader in operationalizing AI, Erik frequently publishes and holds talks on AI adoption.

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Dr Bulent Mercan

Technical Advisor, 2H Offshore

Bulent Mercan currently serves as a technical advisor for 2H Offshore in Houston. He has more than ten years of industry experience in the analysis, design, and integrity monitoring of structural systems for offshore oil, gas and renewable assets. His responsibilities include project management, technical sales, and technology development. He holds a PhD in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a Professional Engineer Licence in Texas.

Bulent also serves as a part-time senior lecturer at the University of Houston. He has more than eight years of teaching experience at the UH. He teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in the Civil Engineering Department.

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Julian Moreno

Principal Product Manager and Senior Industry Advisor

Julian Moreno is a strategic Principal Product Manager and Senior Industry Advisor from Venezuela with almost three decades of experience leading digital transformation in the Energy and Resources sector. At Microsoft, he drives data and AI innovation, specializing in Agentic AI to help organizations unlock intelligent automation and scalable insights. Julian has held leadership roles across the world at EPAM Systems and SLB, where he launched pioneering SaaS products, authored multiple patents, and built high-performing global teams. His expertise spans product management, cloud platforms, and AI-driven data strategies, with deep involvement in the OSDU™ data platform and Azure Data Manager for Energy. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Julian is known for blending technical depth with business acumen to deliver impactful, future-ready solutions.

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Pavan Nimmagadda

Hull & Marine Engineering Manager, MODEC International Inc.

Mechanical Engineer with 13 years experience in the offshore oil and gas industry. Core expertise includes Hull and
marine design for FPSO’s/FSO/FLNG’s projects. Familiar with all major CLASS, IMO, OCIMF rules, NFPA and
API standards for offshore facilities. Worked on 25+ FPSO proposals/ projects at various stages not limited to
concept selection, Pre-FEED, FEED and EPCI. Worked on 2 New build hull developments and multiple
conversion projects. Hands on experience in interfacing with shipyard commercial and contract execution such as
Bid strategy,  SOW definition, commercial evaluation etc.    
 
Certified subsea engineer with knowledge of Subsea Risers, Flowlines and Flow assurance. Familiar with on
vessel SURF interface systems such as riser pull-in and Mooring systems. 

 

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Oghenekevwe Ovbije

Director, Energia Core

Oghenekevwe Ovbije is Director, Energy Business at Energia Core. She has over 15 years of international experience in the energy industry, having worked across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Her background spans oil and gas production systems, energy operations, and infrastructure advisory. She began her career in oilfield operations, managing artificial lift installations across frontier and mature basins. At Baker Hughes, she progressed into leadership roles, overseeing field operations and capital projects for both offshore and onshore assets. She later served as a consultant at Wood Mackenzie, advising global clients on infrastructure resilience, post-M&A integration, and energy investment strategies.

Oghenekevwe holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an MSc in Oil & Gas Engineering from the University of Aberdeen, and a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from Igbinedion University Okada. She holds additional professional certifications in sustainability, digital product management and has completed the Certified GeoExchange Designer course.

 

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Dr Prabu Parthasarathy

Global VP - Strategic Projects, Cognite

As the Global VP - Strategic Projects at Cognite, I help combine domain expertise and digital technology to help clients across upstream and midstream industries harness the power of data and AI to optimize their operations, reduce emissions, and enhance safety. With over 20 years of international experience in the Oil and Gas sector, I have a deep understanding of the technical and business challenges that our clients face, and how to deliver value by combining domain knowledge with digital technologies. Before joining Cognite, I was the VP of Intelligent Operations at Wood Group, where I oversaw a global business line that provided advanced technology solutions to the process industry.

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Jorge Peña Alarcón

Director of Data & AI, Microsoft

As a visionary leader in the realm of Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI), Jorge Peña Alarcón stands at the forefront of innovation at Microsoft. As the Director of Data & AI, Jorge's expertise in engineering and operations is pivotal in leading organizations in adopting and transitioning to cloud native digital platforms. His strategic approach integrates data analytics and artificial intelligence to enhance business value, particularly within the Energy sector.

Jorge's leadership is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to driving tangible business outcomes for executive clients. His experience spans over a decade in technology and energy operations, with a rich background in Aerospace, Oil and Gas, Mining, and Utilities industries. His proficiency in enterprise software development, sales, go-to-market strategies, and business development has been instrumental across various vertical markets.

A specialist in IT-OT convergence and Automation Industries, Jorge's academic foundation in Aerospace Engineering, with a concentration on Advanced Analytics and Propulsion Engines from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, empowers him to innovate in digital transformation initiatives with a unique blend of technical acumen, industry insight, and unwavering focus on achieving operational excellence.

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Rafael Riva

Vice President, Client Relations, International Registries, Inc. (IRI) / The Marshall Islands Registry

Mr. Riva joined IRI’s Houston office in January 2023 as Vice President, Client Relations. Prior to joining IRI, he spent nearly 19 years with Lloyd’s Register (LR) in a variety of management, business development, and technical roles. Mr. Riva specialized in LNG and LPG and moved around the world to support LR’s strategic interests and business development, including positions in London, Shanghai, and New York. In 2020, he was promoted to Vice President of Commercial Operations Americas, where he oversaw activities of all commercial teams in the Americas, including several projects with Offshore Wind and Gas. Mr. Riva holds an MSc in Naval Architecture from Spain’s Technical University of Madrid and has studied at the Technical University of Denmark. He is also a qualified Chartered Engineer, a member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, the Spanish Association of Naval Architects, and The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME).

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Dr Ram Shenoy

CEO, RBR Group

Ram Shenoy has 24 years experience in upstream oil & gas, holding a variety of roles around technology development, management and marketing.

He spent 20 years with Schlumberger, starting as a research scientist, and completed a series of assignments of increasing responsibility, culminating in his last position with Schlumberger as Vice-President of Research, managing Schlumberger global corporate research laboratories.

He subsequently became Chief Technology Officer of ConocoPhillips, a position he held for 4 years.   He currently advises venture capital and private equity companies on matters of technology strategy and due diligence in the energy sector.  He also serves on a number of advisory boards, most notably the US Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, and the Project Production Institute.

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Greg Trostel

Global Industry Development Manager, Rockwell Automation

Greg has over thirty years of experience in the energy industries and is currently a global industry development manager for Rockwell Automation, leading the Floating Production Initiative for both Rockwell and Sensia.

Greg started his career as a coop student with MW Kellogg based in Houston, and spent a combined 13 years with Kellogg/KBR in several engineering disciplines before moving into international sales.  His time there was marked by several international assignments with a focus on joint venture partner development.

Greg also spent significant time in technology & software development within the industry, which include sales development work at Aspen, AVEVA, Meridium and PAS. 

Before joining Rockwell, Greg was involved in global project pursuit and strategic account management with Puffer/Emerson, including an international assignment covering the Middle East / Africa world area.

Greg has a Chemical Engineering degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Houston.

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Peter Wallace PE, CEng, CMarEng, FIMarEST

Principal Engineer, Lloyds Register

Peter Wallace, PE, CEng, CMarEng is Principal Engineer in the Maritime Performance Services--Applied Technology Group of Lloyd’s Register, based in Houston Texas.  He is a practicing naval architect working in the technology development, risk, and regulatory spaces in maritime and offshore in such topics as decarbonization, dynamic positioning, and structural digital twins.  Peter holds a BSc in naval architecture and marine engineering from Webb Institute of Naval Architecture and an MBA from Tulane University.  Peter is a Member of Corporation at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and an Executive Committee member of the IMarEST Gulf Coast Branch.

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