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Schedule

Thursday, September 7, 2023
6 p.m. Appetizers Reception
7 p.m. Program
8:15 p.m. Coffee and Networking

One of the most critical challenges of this century is meeting the world’s growing demand for energy while also reducing emissions. ExxonMobil’s Low Carbon Solutions (LCS) business is designed to address this significant issue by advancing solutions which include clean hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and second-generation biofuels.

The second program of the three-part series covers some of the high-impact work LCS is doing to help industrial companies around the globe such as establishing carbon capture storage (CCS) locations in multiple countries to reduce emissions in high-emitting sectors, like manufacturing and heavy industry. The panel will also focus on initiatives in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the broader Asia-Pacific region and address the value chains, economic benefit, and associated spinoff industries.

Join us for a discussion with Matt Crocker, ExxonMobil’s Senior Vice President for Low Carbon Solutions; Takajiro “Tak” Ishikawa, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America; and Charles “Chuck” McConnell, Energy Center Officer of the Center for Carbon Management in Energy (CCME) at the University of Houston, in conversation with Uday Turaga, founder and CEO of ADI Analytics, as they explore how these technologies will help the world decarbonize.

About the Speakers

Matt Crocker is Senior Vice President, Product, Strategy and New Assets, for ExxonMobil’s Low Carbon Solutions business. In this role, Matt oversees product development across the portfolio, creation, and alignment on business strategies, and has oversight for project execution and start-up of new assets. Prior to his current position, Matt was most recently Senior Vice President, Fuels Value Chain, Fuels & Lubricants Company, where he was responsible for the Global Fuels Value Chain from crude to customers. Born in Cuckfield, England, Matt graduated from Cambridge University with a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. Matt joined Esso Petroleum Company in 1995 at the Fawley Refinery, where he held a number of positions in technical and supervisory roles.

Takajiro “Tak” Ishikawa is the President and CEO of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, Inc where he leads the North American team to deliver innovative and integrated solutions that help realize carbon neutrality, improve quality of life, and ensure a safer world. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, he has expertise in both industrial and mining assets, and investment in startup technology companies. Most importantly, he is passionate about advancing the energy transition and achieving MHI’s goal to achieve net zero emissions through our entire value chain by 2040. He is a graduate of Waseda University in Tokyo and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Charles “Chuck” McConnell is the Energy Center Officer of the Center for Carbon Management in Energy (CCME) at the University of Houston. Prior to joining the CCME, McConnell was the Executive Director of the Energy and Environment Initiative at Rice University. McConnell served as the Assistant Secretary of Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy from 2011-13 and was responsible for the Office of Fossil Energy’s strategic policy leadership, research and development of the department’s coal, oil and gas, and advanced technologies programs. He also managed operations of the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the National Energy Technologies Laboratories. He previously worked at Praxair for 32 years managing domestic and global businesses in hydrogen, CCUS and energy and has worked in countries around the world including Singapore, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and Malaysia.

About the Moderator

Uday Turaga is Founder & CEO of ADI Analytics, a consulting and research firm based in Houston, Texas, and specializing in oil and gas, energy, chemicals, and industrials. With 20+ years of experience at ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Booz, and ADI, Uday is an expert in oil and gas, energy transition, and chemicals.  He has led ADI Analytics since 2009 through 600+ projects for 300+ clients including ExxonMobil, Shell, Aramco, BASF, GE, KKR, and U.S. Department of Energy. He has a Ph.D. in fuel science from Penn State and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Uday has published over 100 papers, holds two U.S. patents, and has won awards from U.S. National Academy of Engineering, American Chemical Society, and Penn State. Finally, he has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio (NPR), and Bloomberg. 

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