1. Women in Energy Breakfast: Honorable Heidi Heitkamp, Former U.S. Senator of North Dakota

    April 11, 2019 by Noformat

    Please join the Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy for a breakfast and roundtable discussion with the Honorable Heidi Heitkamp, former North Dakota Senator. During this student-only breakfast, Sen. Heitkamp will discuss her work on energy development in North Dakota and the rest of the U.S., academic and job histories, career paths, and perspectives on what it means to be a female leader in energy. Biography U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp served as the first female senator elected from North Dakota from 2013-2019. Senator Heitkamp grew up in a large family in the small town of Mantador, ND. Throughout her time in public service, Senator Heitkamp has stood up for tribal communities and worked to improve outcomes for Native American children, women, and families. The first bill she introduced in the Senate, which became law in 2016, created a Commission on Native Children. Her bill with former Senator John McCain became law to create Amber Alerts in Indian Country. She introduced Savanna’s Act to help address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. On the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Heitkamp pushed to provide training and resources for first responders and worked to combat human trafficking in North Dakota, across the country, and around the world.  Senator Heitkamp has a long record with energy development in North Dakota. She continued those efforts in the Senate, working to responsibly harness North Dakota’s energy resources, and successfully pushed to lift the 40-year old ban on exporting U.S. crude oil while expanding support for renewable energies, like wind and solar energy development. Senator Heitkamp sat on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where she helped write, negotiate, and pass two long-term, comprehensive Farm Bills which Congress passed.  Senator Heitkamp previously served as North Dakota’s Attorney General where she helped broker an agreement between 46 states and the tobacco industry, which forced the tobacco industry to tell the truth about smoking and health. It was one of the largest civil settlements in U.S. history. Prior to her time as Attorney General, Senator Heitkamp served as North Dakota’s Tax Commissioner. Senator Heitkamp received a B.A. from the University of North Dakota and a law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School. She currently serves as a contributor to CNBC and resides in Mandan, North Dakota with her husband. Registration is required. This event is open to all students.  Space is limited therefore please register only if you can commit to attending the roundtable. Breakfast will be provided.  If you have any questions, please contact: jem2245@sipa.columbia.edu 

  2. CANCELLED: Women in Energy Leadership Development Workshop: Elevator Pitch, Resume & Cover Letter (for Students)

    March 28, 2019 by Noformat

    Elevator Pitch, Resume and Cover Letter – The Easy Way for Students You’ve worked so hard for an advanced degree from an exceptional school. Why aren’t you getting more traction in your job search? Most of us begin with job descriptions and try to fit our experience to meet them. What if you could start with you…and what you want. From there, it’s so much easier to express what you can do for an organization. And THAT, makes people listen. With 10 years coaching hundreds of high-achieving women, and two decades working in sales and marketing at the world’s largest beauty multi-nationals, Claire Steichen knows how to help people sell themselves. Claire has developed the I to the 4th Power* approach. By knowing what you bring to the table and how organizations work, you can express your contribution confidently and naturally. No stress. Join the Women in Energy program in this workshop where you will: •    Get clear on your “superpower,” what it does for the organization, and how to leverage it •    Understand your story, then use storytelling techniques to craft it so you get noticed •    Use a step by step process to convert your story into elevator pitch, resume and cover letter *I to the 4th Power gains effectiveness from the sequencing of its elements:  Impact, Influence, Initiative and Innovation. Beginning with yourself and working outward, you gain deep self-awareness. You learn to self-manage and communicate effectively. You are more confident in taking initiative and more resilient to the feedback that will make you grow as a leader. You are able to work autonomously to feel ultimate motivation. Registration is required. This event is geared towards current female students. Since space is limited, RSVPs will be accepted on a first-come basis until capacity is reached. A light breakfast will be provided.  For more information contact: energypolicy@columbia.edu

  3. WRISE and WIE Networking Breakfast

    March 26, 2019 by Noformat

    Location: CleanCapital in WeWork 205 E. 42nd. St., Floor 19 New York, NY  Please join the Greater NYC Chapter of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) and Columbia | SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy (WIE) program for a breakfast gathering on March 26. This will be a great opportunity to get together and network with other female energy professionals, WIE alumni, and current students near the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) Summit going on that day. It will be an interactive, informal breakfast discussion among women in our industry. Confirmed speaker: Amy Jaffe, David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment and director of the Energy Security and Climate Change program at the Council on Foreign Relations and Co-chair of CGEP’s Women in Energy Steering Committee. Others are still to be confirmed. Cost: Free. Thank you to CleanCapital, Greentech Capital Advisors, and Women in Energy for sponsoring this event. This event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required.  Please bring your ID and register ahead of time so that you will be on the list at the front desk when you check-in in the lobby. This event is open to WIE students and alumni, WRISE members, and other supporters of Women in Energy and the Greater New York City Chapter of WRISE. Please RSVP only if you can commit to attending.

  4. Women in Energy Leadership Development Workshop: Negotiations (for Students)

    February 27, 2019 by Noformat

    Transform Your Negotiating skills with the I to the 4th Power Approach Job search when you are a student can be daunting. How can you negotiate when it feels like you don’t know what’s behind door number 1, 2 or 3? How we do it can affect your first job out of school and career trajectory from there. With 10 years coaching hundreds of high-achieving women, and two decades working in sales and marketing at the world’s largest beauty multi-nationals, Claire Steichen takes a unique approach to negotiation. Claire has developed the I to the 4th Power* approach. By knowing what you bring to the table and how to influence your audience, you come to situation after situation with confidence and poise. Join the Women in Energy program for this workshop where you will: •    Get clear on your “superpower,” what it can do for an organization, and how to leverage it •    Develop messages that will resonate with your audience •    Learn the rules of influence and how to use them *I to the 4th Power gains effectiveness from the sequencing of its elements: Impact, Influence, Initiative and Innovation. Beginning with yourself and working outward, you gain deep self-awareness. You learn to self-manage and communicate effectively. You are more confident in taking initiative and more resilient to the feedback that will make you grow as a leader.  You are able to work autonomously to feel ultimate motivation. Registration is required. This event is geared towards current female students. Since space is limited, RSVPs will be accepted on a first-come basis until capacity is reached. A light breakfast will be provided. For more information contact: energypolicy@columbia.edu

  5. Future Workforce In the Energy Sector: How Diversity Makes us More Hardworking and More Creative

    February 18, 2019 by Noformat

    Read the Report

    The Nature of the Energy Industry Future Workforce Challenge

    Building diverse, inclusive work environments has become a priority for businesses across the globe—bringing benefits that include higher productivity and improved performance, as well as increased creativity and broader perspectives that lead to better decision-making. While the energy industry has made progress toward diversification, more work is needed. Toward the goal of promoting diversity in the sector, the Women in Energy program of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) and Pioneer Natural Resources convened a workshop, Future Workforce in the Energy Sector, on November 8, 2018. The meeting convened executives of energy companies and thought leaders from industry and academia.

    Participants agreed that the energy sector, under its current hiring and retention practices, was unable to capitalize on the full benefits of a diverse, future-focused workforce. The event devoted significant time to discussions of recruitment and retention of groups underrepresented in the industry (such as women, minorities, and millennials), while tapping expertise from energy companies and other industries that have been the most successful in recruiting and retaining talent.

    The following document provides a brief background on women and millennials in the energy industry before summarizing the discussion and findings from the CGEP workshop. As the event was held under the Chatham House Rule, participants will not be identified.

    Background

    Women represent between 22 percent and 34 percent of the workforce in the energy industry, with percentages at the highest ranks even smaller.[1] In the oil and gas sector, representation tends to be lower. In the clean energy sector, however, it is generally higher, with women making up 32 percent of the wind and solar workforce. All sectors say they are having trouble recruiting women and minorities with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics backgrounds, despite a rising number of diverse graduates.

    Almost a quarter of the US employees of the natural gas and electric utilities industry will be approaching retirement within five years, necessitating a huge influx of new personnel to the sector in the next few years.[2] To enhance recruitment and retention, companies have gotten more creative. In the utility sector, firms have tried partnering with industry and labor unions to establish apprenticeship programs—targeting students in underserved communities and creating educational programs that reach out to students in middle schools. The recruitment processes of private companies have also been tailored to ensure diversity is built into the pipeline of candidates being interviewed on college campuses.

    There are many benefits to diversifying a workforce. It is harder to come to a consensus in small work groups that are not homogenous, but they are more apt to reach correct answers. This notion was the conclusion of a decade of research on small work teams by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business professor Katherine W. Phillips.[3] Phillips’s research shows homogenous groups can come to a consensus faster and they feel more confident in their conclusions than diverse teams (although they are not necessarily reaching the correct conclusions). In fact, they have a higher chance of getting the wrong answer than diverse groups, which take longer to deliberate and feel “less confident” of their outcomes. Phillips noted, “Diversity gains do not only result from bringing different perspectives to the table.” Simply adding social diversity to a group forces people to think differences of opinion might exist among themselves, and that belief prompts changes in behavior and pushes people to work harder to come to a consensus and be more open-minded to new ideas; this leads to better outcomes. Other important factors for garnering the benefits of diversity include shared goals, team building (with minimized status differences), and shared impact; these are features common to the tech sector.

    Phillips’s research is confirmed by other studies and extends to findings related to the benefits of having diversity in the C-suite and boardroom. A large statistical study published in the Academy of Management Journal in 2017 found that companies with women in these senior ranks contribute to the long-run performance by lessening the chances of risky strategies being adopted.[4] 

    Workshop Summary

    Creating a More Diverse Workplace

    Harvard Business Review surveys of strategic approaches to diversity indicate that command and control programs—such as grievance systems, performance evaluations, and hiring test assessments—are not succeeding. In some cases, these programs are even creating unintended backlashes from members of groups that tend to be advantaged in the society, who fear discrimination and unfair treatment within organizations with prodiversity messages.[5] Instead, executives of energy companies that attended the CGEP workshop suggested—in line with academic findings—that other formal programs (such as resource groups, task forces, childcare subsidy, or on-site programs) and returnship programs for employees who choose to stop working for a period of time (e.g., to take care of a sick relative or after the birth or adoption of a child) have proven more effective in retaining and fostering a sustainably diverse workforce.

    Participants of the workshop noted, “There are also programs and internal systems that can be set up to promote contact between groups, which leads to acceptance of a more diverse workplace.” These programs include cross-skilling (training workers in multiple skills set to work on different projects within an organization), self-managed teams (small groups of employees who, together, plan and execute day-to-day activities or projects with minimal supervision), and third-party coaching and mentoring programs. There are other important measures corporate leadership can take: senior management can assemble task forces, and CEOs can promote social accountability. Such actions have been shown to be statistically more effective than other steps, such as mandatory diversity training.[6] In the energy industry, success has been recorded when CEOs invite department heads and members of unrepresented groups to discuss approaches for improving recruitment, promotion, and overall diversity performance across the company.

    Millennial Workers

    The matter of recruiting and retaining young workers has become an increasing challenge for the energy industry. In an internal study on the subject, one workshop participant found that a cultural shift was needed to improve its workforce turnover rate for millennial workers. “Workplace flexibility, transparency, and an orientation that incorporates well-being are principal practices that are attractive to younger generation workers,” the participant noted. Because millennials are more engaged with digital working methods, the company created specific innovation challenges to give younger workers an opportunity for higher performances and greater productivity. Their study suggests younger generations are expecting more from their relationship with their organization than past generations and they seek a workplace that is authentic and inclusive.

    One program that is garnering more interest among corporations is “reverse mentoring,” where knowledge sharing flows in both directions. Younger employees share technology, organizational issues, career planning, and other capabilities and preferences. In return, they gain generational perspectives on industry subject matter and become aware of past experiences. Reverse mentoring is an innovative and cost-effective means to cross-train employees for shared support and mutual training in the digital age. Reverse mentoring can also promote diversity by demonstrating the knowledge and skills of younger workers, thereby mitigating perceptual biases of older leaders and increasing the promotability of individuals of diverse backgrounds.

    Companies observed younger workers prefer more regular evaluation and feedback processes than traditional annual reviews. The younger workers also resist “need-to-know” processes and the lack of transparent communication that restricts information to a small pool of decision makers. Companies that pool large numbers of younger workers are thus moving toward greater transparency and inclusion in information and decision-making processes. In particular, pay transparency and equality have become increasingly important as has incorporating trade-offs between overworking and compensation. Millennials do not value money less than other generations. They are, however, cognizant of the value of different elements to the work environment, such as remote working and volunteering and their relationships to compensation levels. Participants said they preferred settings with team cohesion, value international assignments, and access to stretch goals (additional and more challenging goals to be obtained if a project’s objectives are met).

    Energy companies are discovering that with the digitalization of the energy sector, they are competing with companies like Google and Facebook for potential employees. Attendees noted that to attract young workers, who value oil and gas companies’ commitments to social responsibility and sustainability, companies need to promote the positive impact of their work.

    Barriers Specific to Energy

    According to workshop participants, the energy industry has experienced several downturns in recent years, and the cyclicality has had a disproportionate impact on women. During downturns, many companies scale back on diversity programs. Downsizing can affect the female workforce due to the lack of adequate structures and sponsorship from middle management. Some women executives from energy companies said they also found that biases impacted women in periods of downsizing due to the perception that women “have a choice” about whether to stay in the workforce or not. “Whether this ever was or currently is a real choice for some women,” as one executive noted, “from a cultural perspective, the perceived ‘choice’ to work has not always existed for many women.” Separately, it was also noted that in affinity networks inside companies, a vertical, with a higher percentage of women, led by a rising female executive can be adversely affected if the woman does not succeed to the C-suite.

    Workshop participants stressed that energy-related technical job postings, especially for higher-level positions, do not often generate a single applicant that would qualify as diverse. One executive noted that most senior women in her organization were in finance or human resources departments, but the way the organization worked, candidates for promotion needed to be in a technical or engineering field to get promoted. This discrepancy in the pipeline for promotions becomes more apparent at the senior level—as there is a larger gender gap at the senior level compared to the entry level, where women comprise close to 50 percent of the employees at that level in her company. Participants said companies needed to have institutionalized programs to overcome the limitations of the internal and external candidate pipeline—including leadership development, cross-training of high-potential workers, and screening processes that eliminate unconscious bias (one company noted it used résumé screening software). To promote diversity and garner its benefits, workshop participants stressed that companies needed to have formal systems and processes that minimize bias and engage employees to embrace diversity. These systems need to be transparent, be consistent, and offer clear measures for accountability. As one executive noted, “What gets measured, gets done.” The executive also said more needed to be done to force the upper management at certain oil and gas firms to push for greater accountability in hiring practices.

    Visibility of women in management is also enabling, not only within the companies but also in public industry events. One start-up firm led by women suggested that the visibility of diverse senior management gave them an advantage in recruiting young women. Another firm said funding and supporting women’s organizations and networks gave them greater visibility on available talent. Shareholder investor groups are also pushing management to improve practices on diversity and inclusion, especially on the board and executive levels. More diverse board members notice when management presentations are homogenous, and this also forces change.

    Conclusion

    The energy industry needs to adopt diversity and inclusion initiatives that are tracked and measured to ensure it is recruiting the best talent available as it replaces the aging workforce. The energy challenges of tomorrow require a diversity of perspectives to tackle global and local issues. Diverse workforces also promote the kind of creative solutions needed to solve 21st-century energy challenges. Baby boomers and Generation Xs alike are already benefiting from more flexibility, pay equity, and greater transparency—steps companies have taken to meet the needs of today’s younger generation of workers.

    Throughout the workshop, participants stressed the need for female role models and increased visibility of women in the energy sector, both inside companies and externally in more public settings where the energy industry is present. This visibility is important for the recruitment of more women and people of color into the industry. Workshop participants agreed with studies showing that as companies are seen promoting women and people of color into senior roles, retention of a more diverse workforce of high-potential employees improves. Company boards and investor stakeholders can play a role in helping the energy sector become more inclusive. CGEP’s Women in Energy program will also look to convene future workshops on these topics.

     


    [1] Department of Energy, U.S. Energy and Employment Report (2017).

    [2] Department of Energy, “Electricity Workforce of the 21st-Century: Changing Needs and New Opportunities,” in Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), Second Installment: Transforming the Nation’s Electricity System (2017), 5–11.

    [3] Katherine Phillips, “How Diversity Works,” Scientific American 311, no. 4 (October 2014): 42–47.

    [4] Seung-Hwan Jeong and David A. Harrison, “Glass Breaking, Strategy Making, and Value Creating: Meta-Analytic Outcomes of Women as CEOs and TMT Members,” Academy of Management Journal 60, no. 4. (2017): 1219–52.

    [5] Tessa L. Dover, Brenda Major, and Cheryl R. Kaiser, “Members of High-Status Groups Are Threatened by Pro-diversity Organizational Messages,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 62 (January 2016): 58–67.

    [6] Frank Dobbin and Alexandra Kalev, “Why Diversity Programs Fail,” Harvard Business Review (July–August 2016).

  6. Artealia Gilliard Joins the Center on Global Energy Policy as Director of Communications and Digital Media

    January 2, 2019 by Noformat

    For Media Inquiries, contact Artealia Gilliard, Director of Communications and Digital Media at ag4144@sipa.columbia.edu or 212-853-1337.

    NEW YORK – The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs announced today that Artealia Gilliard will join the Center as Director of Communications and Digital Media. At CGEP, Artealia will lead efforts to highlight the Center’s research, events, expertise and policy insights on the world’s most pressing energy issues.

     “Artealia has worked with journalists and decision-makers across the political spectrum on many of today’s most timely and complex energy issues,” said Jason Bordoff, Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy. “As we continue to provide leading analysis and shape the global energy landscape, Artealia brings an invaluable perspective and experience to our leadership team. We are pleased to have her on board to lead our growing communications functions to engage new audiences.”

    Artealia has more than 15 years of experience as a strategic communications expert and advisor on a wide range of energy and environmental issues. She served in the Obama Administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Transportation Policy and Director of Governmental, International, and Public Affairs for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration at the U.S. Department of Transportation. She led communications and legislative strategy for the bipartisan pipeline safety bill and energy and transportation safety issues, including regulations governing crude-by-rail and natural gas storage safety.

    “Opening up the policy process so that more people can participate has been a passion and driving force for my career,” Gilliard said. “I am thrilled to join the Center on Global Energy Policy and to be part of their work to create more informed and inclusive energy and climate change solutions.”

    Most recently, Artealia was Director of Communications at the Nathan Cummings Foundation, a multigenerational family foundation advancing solutions to inequality and climate change. Before joining the Obama Administration, Artealia held senior-level positions in state and federal government, including the Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management in Alaska where she served as Special Assistant and Chief of External Affairs. Artealia holds a Master of Science in Communications Management from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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    About the Center on Global Energy Policy

    CGEP’s mission is to enable public and private sector leaders to make more informed choices about the world’s most pressing energy issues by providing an independent and interdisciplinary platform for insights and data-driven analysis, convening and information-sharing, education and training, and actionable recommendations on the current and future global energy system.

  7. Women in Energy: Networking Workshop

    September 10, 2018 by Noformat

    Location: The New School  72 5th Avenue, room 713 New York, NY Transform Your Networking with the I to the 4th Power Approach Join the Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy program and the New School’s Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment for a Leadership Development Workshop focused on networking.  When your networking efforts don’t yield the desired outcome, it’s hard to tell whether you are doing something wrong, or whether you just have to keep at it. That uncertainty is the main thing that makes most of us give up.  Networking can be daunting.  But there is a method.  Over 10 years working with hundreds of high-achieving women, Claire Steichen has perfected the I to the 4th Power* approach.  She breaks down the elements of good networking and job search, so you have a step by step process that gives you control over the outcome.  Join us for this workshop so you can stop putting it off, and start meeting the people who will get you the leads you are looking for. Claire spent 20 years in corporate sales and marketing at some of the world’s leading multi-nationals, and 10 years training in SIPA’s award winning Communicating in Organizations course, plus experience coaching hundreds of professionals. In this workshop you will learn how to connect with others in a conversation that resonates and sells you. •    Get clear on what you want and how you can contribute to the organizations you’d like to work at  •    Develop an Impact Statement that lets you share your message in an easy, conversational way •    Start with friends, family and colleagues you feel comfortable with, and let yourself build from there *I to the 4th Power gains effectiveness from the sequencing of its elements:  Impact, Influence, Initiative and Innovation.  Beginning with yourself and working outward, you gain deep self-awareness.  You learn to self-manage and communicate effectively.  You are more confident in taking initiative and more resilient to the feedback that will make you grow as a leader.  You are able to work autonomously to feel ultimate motivation. This event is open to current female grad students. Since space is limited, RSVPs will be accepted on a first-come basis until capacity is reached.  Registration is required.  For more information contact: energypolicy@columbia.edu

  8. WIE Leadership Workshop The Elusive Gravitas: Why Executive Presence Matters & “How To” @ The New School

    April 17, 2018 by Noformat

    LOCATION: The New School  Klein Conference Room, Room 510 66 West 12th Street New York, NY Some call it “Gravitas” or “Presence”, others refer to it as “Confidence” or “Magnetism”. What we know for sure is it’s clear when someone has it or doesn’t. Gravitas is a fundamental skill that we can evolve as we elevate in our careers. Whether wanting to inspire a team, have serious impact for a cause, or simply find more passion in the day-to-day, gravitas is a non-negotiable for personal growth and success and it is cultivated from the inside-out. Join the Women in Energy Program for this 2-hour workshop where we unravel the mindset and practical communication tools to foster it – mixed with active live coaching. This session will be facilitated by Rachel Garrett, Head Trainer at The Paradox of Leadership. This event is open only to current female grad students. Since space is limited, RSVPs will be accepted on a first-come basis until capacity is reached. Please RSVP only if you can commit to attending the workshop. For more information contact: jem2245@sipa.columbia.edu

  9. Women in Energy Site Visit: NRG Arthur Kill Natural Gas Plant

    April 6, 2018 by Noformat

    The Center on Global Energy Policy’s Women in Energy program and NYU’s Center for Global Affairs are excited to invite you to tour the Arthur Kill Natural Gas Plant at Staten Island. This event is being hosted and led by NRG Energy. Please see the full details below.  Transportation to and from the facility will provided.  Pick-up & drop-off location: NYU’s Center for Global Affairs – Woolworth Building, 15 Barclay Street Pick-up time: 8:00am. We will leave no later than 8:00am and will not wait for latecomers. Please arrive at the pick-up location by 7:45am.  Drop off time: 1:30pm Arthur Kill Gas Plant Tour Details The NRG facility runs on three units. The first, AK2 is a gas-fueled steamboiler (348MW) and was built in 1959. It was originally designed for coal, oil, and gas, but now only performs gas, front-fire boiler and simple steam. The CT-1, built in 1969, is gas only, but oil capable with a simple cycle gas turbine. The AK3, also built in 1969, was originally coal only but was modified for oil in 1972. In 1991, it was modified again to be a gas-only, tangentially-fired boiler, simple steam unit. Sustainability The plant has been actively involved in sustainability efforts since its founding. It has participated in several replanting initiatives and, in 2012, developed a sunflower planting as well as a water conservation project to help replenish surrounding areas. Arthur Kill manages water conversation and a bio-diversity project. The latter project helps replenish the local population of osprey, or sea hawk, by building nests. The facility has also partners with the Harbor School, supporting the Billion Oyster Project, which endeavors to help rebuild the protective reef in New York Harbor. This event is open only to current female grad students.  Space is extremely limited therefore please register only if you can commit to attending the site visit. No-show’s will not be permitted to participate in WIE events through the end of the calendar year. If you RSVP and can no longer attend, please email me at least three days in advance. If you have any questions, please contact: jem2245@sipa.columbia.edu 

  10. Center on Global Energy Policy Welcomes Marianne Kah, Former Chief Economist at ConocoPhillips, as Senior Research Scholar

    December 14, 2017 by Noformat

    NEW YORK, December 14, 2017 – The Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP) at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) announced today that Marianne Kah has joined as an Adjunct Senior Research Scholar after stepping down at the end of October as the Chief Economist at ConocoPhillips. In her research scholar capacity, Kah will focus on current issues affecting global energy markets, including the outlook for and implications of peak oil demand.

    “We are thrilled to have Marianne, a highly respected economist and energy analyst, join the CGEP-SIPA team,” said Jason Bordoff, Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs and Founding Director of the Center on Global Energy Policy. “Her experience helping to guide one of the world’s leading energy companies through an increasingly volatile market makes her an invaluable addition to our team of scholars who are committed to exploring the most important questions facing the energy sector today.”

    “The Center has become a leading authority on a variety of critical energy policy issues and I am excited to utilize my expertise to contribute to its success,” said Kah.

    Kah comes to CGEP after a distinguished 31-year career at ConocoPhillips where she was the company’s lead expert in scenario planning, spearheaded its oil and natural gas market outlook products, and mobilized relationships with key external stakeholders, including energy ministers, legislators, think tanks and governments.

    Prior to ConocoPhillips, she worked across a number of energy industry organizations including the Cabot Corporation, Conoco, and the Synthetic Fuels Corporation. She was also a policy analyst at the Energy and Minerals Division of the U.S. Government Accountability Office where she led energy policy studies for the U.S. Senate Energy Committee and House Fossil and Synthetic Fuels Subcommittee.

    Kah currently serves as co-chair of the Energy Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics. She was previously President of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics.

    She holds a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

     

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    About the Center on Global Energy Policy: The Center on Global Energy Policy is an independent, nonpartisan, academic organization at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. CGEP seeks to strengthen the understanding of global energy policy issues and support leaders working to solve today’s most pressing energy challenges. To achieve its mission, CGEP conducts and supports world-class academic research; convenes leaders from around the world to advance the energy dialogue; builds bridges with partners beyond the academy to connect rigorous analysis with real-world applications and systems; and trains students to become the next generation of energy scholars, executives and policymakers. Based at one of the world’s great research universities located in the heart of New York City, Columbia University is Where the World Connects for Energy Policy.