2025 ADI Forum

The 2025 Forum spanned three days and opened with keynotes from Brad Childers, CEO of Archrock, Charles Cherington, Founder and Managing Partner of Ara Partners, and Mariane Maximous, VP at LyondellBasell.

With nearly 20 panels and speakers from ExxonMobil, BASF, SM Energy, Targa Resources, Monroe Energy, Priority Power, Hoerbiger, KeyBanc, and Black Bay Capital, the forum offered deep insights into oil and gas, energy transition, chemicals, CCUS, hydrogen, biofuels, and investment trends.

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Brad Childers CEO & President, Archrock

Brad Childers CEO & President, Archrock Brad Childers is CEO & President of Archrock, Inc., a midstream energy infrastructure company specializing in natural gas compression and is the leading provider of compression services to the oil and gas industry across the U.S. Previously, Childers served as President and CEO of Exterran Holdings, Inc. Childers holds a B.A. from Claremont McKenna College and a J.D. from the University of Southern California.

Jeff Warmann CEO & President, Monroe Energy

Jeff Warmann CEO & President, Monroe Energy Jeff Warmann leads the Monroe Energy Team, who owns and operates the 200,000 BBL per day petroleum refinery in Trainer, Pennsylvania, as well as their subsidiary, MIPC, which owns and operates three distribution terminals and fifty-one miles of pipeline. Prior to joining Monroe, Warmann led the restructuring efforts at Murphy Oil’s Meraux Refinery significantly increasing the profitability of the facility.

Markus Digruber EVP, Head of Innovation & Bus. Dev., Hoerbiger

Markus Digruber EVP, Head of Innovation & Bus. Dev., Hoerbiger Markus Digruber holds a Master’s degree and PhD in mechanical engineering from Vienna University of Technology. For 25 years, he has been with the HOERBIGER group, holding various vice president positions. Digruber was recently EVP of the OEM Division and leads the Innovation and Business Development team of HOERBIGER Compression.

Martina Sittler VP, Engineering & Construction, Targa Resources

Martina Sittler VP, Engineering & Construction, Targa Resources Martina Sittler is a prominent executive in the oil and gas industry with over two decades of leadership experience. She currently serves as Vice President of Engineering & Construction at Targa Resources, where she plays a crucial role in both infrastructure development and sustainability initiatives. Her work focuses on asset electrification, carbon sequestration, and testing new technologies to reduce environmental impact.

Daniel Carlson VP, Strategy & Development, Montana Renewables

Daniel Carlson VP, Strategy & Development, Montana Renewables Daniel Carlson joined Montana Renewables, LLC as the Vice President of Strategy & Development. He was part of the design and start-up of the first feed pretreatment unit designed with ARA’s HCU technology and is presently leading the front-end engineering for the maxSAF project which will double throughput and increase SPK selectivity at the Great Falls facility.

Vivek Chandra CEO, Gulfstream LNG

Vivek Chandra CEO, Gulfstream LNG Vivek Chandra is an LNG entrepreneur with 35+ years of international oil and gas experience across the value chain. He is currently developing Gulfstream LNG, an LNG export facility with a large site on the Mississippi River in southern Louisiana. Chandra’s experience includes roles as a senior commercial executive with an Australian energy company, development of gas projects in the Middle East, and diverse experience with ARCO Oil and Gas.

Kendra O’Keefe Technology Director, SM Energy

Kendra O’Keefe Technology Director, SM Energy Kendra O’Keefe has been a transformative force in the Oil and Gas industry for over 20 years. Her extensive experience spans various roles, including completions, planning, and business development across most of the major shale plays in the US. Tasked with building SM Energy’s Advanced Analytics and Emerging Technology team, today, she leads a multidisciplinary team of over 30 professionals, including engineers, geoscientists, and computer scientists.

Francisco Arana Director of Commodities & Bus. Dev., BW Energy

Francisco Arana Director of Commodities & Bus. Dev., BW Energy Francisco Arana is Director of Commodities and Business Development for BW Energy, a growth-focused exploration and production company that operates shallow and deepwater blocks across Brazil, Gabon, and Namibia. He has been instrumental in establishing the company’s first crude export operations and trading ventures, in leading price risk management, and in driving value creation through business development.

Shaun Davison Chief Development Officer, Pilot LNG

Shaun Davison Chief Development Officer, Pilot LNG Shaun Davison has a proven track record originating successful LNG projects across the value chain, including several FSRU projects while at Excelerate Energy and NextDecade. These projects include: Israel, Pakistan, Ireland, UK, Bangladesh and Australia. Davison has over 25 years experience in the energy industry focusing on pipelines, underground storage, LNG terminals and LNG shipping.

Carlos Granado Regional Director USA, CMG

Carlos Granado Regional Director USA, CMG Carlos Granado is a Reservoir Engineer with 25 years of experience in Reservoir Simulation, holding a BSc in Petroleum Engineering from Universidad Central de Venezuela and a MSc in Reservoir Evaluation and Management from Heriot-Watt University. Granado has been working for CMG for the last 20 years, where he was appointed as the Regional Director for the USA, where he continues to focus on growth and adding value for their customers.

Cody Johnson CEO, SCS Technologies

Cody Johnson CEO, SCS Technologies Cody W. Johnson is a four-time Chief Executive Officer of PE backed Energy and Industrial mid-size companies. Johnson has been CEO of SCS Technologies since 2023. He is passionate about solving the global energy trilemma using digitization and artificial intelligence. Johnson sits on various corporate, charitable, and university boards. He received his law degree from the University of Houston and his CME from Harvard Business School Executive Education.

Blake Blackwell CCO, Energos Infrastructure

Blake Blackwell CCO, Energos Infrastructure Blake Blackwell is a Chief Commercial Executive with over 25 years of experience in the Maritime Industry focused on Business Development and international relations. Recently spent 15 years at ExxonMobil holding leadership positions in LNG and Hydrogen. Originated and delivered key enabling FSRU contracts for LNG import terminal infrastructures globally.

Charles Cherington Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Ara Partners

Charles Cherington Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Ara Partners Charles Cherington co-founded Ara in 2017, co-heads the firm alongside Troy Thacker, and is a member of the firm’s Investment Committee. He has more than 25 years of private equity experience in the industrial, energy, and chemical industries in which he has executed over 50 transactions. Cherington’s ten most recent investments have all targeted carbon reduction in the industrial and chemical industries.

Shahid Malik CEO, Renewable Energy, WM

Shahid Malik CEO, Renewable Energy, WM Shahid Malik heads up WM Renewable Energy. He is responsible for managing a large renewable energy business and oversees WM’s investments in renewable technologies such as Hydrogen and Carbon Capture. Prior to his current position, he was President of Public Service Enterprise Group Ince. (PSEG) Energy Resources & Trade (ER&T), a diversified energy company headquartered in Newark, N.J.

John Metcalf SVP, Product Management & Bus. Dev., Hoerbiger

John Metcalf SVP, Product Management & Bus. Dev., Hoerbiger John Metcalf is currently Sr VP for HOERBIGER Corporation of America with responsibility for North American Sales, Engineering and Product Management. He has been in the reciprocating compressor business for 25 years with Dresser-Rand, Cook Compression & HOERBIGER – holding a variety of roles in engineering, sales and operations. He has been with HOERBIGER since 2014.

Dave Marchese CEO, Caliche Development Partners

Dave Marchese CEO, Caliche Development Partners Dave Marchese is a seasoned energy industry executive with over 25 years of experience. He has successfully led the development, construction, and operation of various energy assets, including underground storage, power plants, and petrochemical facilities. As CEO of Caliche Energy, Marchese has grown the company into a leading service provider to Fortune 500 companies. Prior to Caliche, he held positions at Haddington Ventures, Eschelon Energy Partners, and Reliant Energy.

Anthony McMaken VP, Finance, HIF USA

Anthony McMaken VP, Finance, HIF USA Anthony McMaken joined Highly Innovative Fuels in 2022 where he focuses on the project development and financing initiatives of their Texas-based eFuels facility that is expected to produce approximately 200 million gallons per year of carbon-neutral gasoline by 2027. Before joining HIF, McMaken spent nearly a decade at Cheniere Energy Inc., focusing on the execution of debt and equity financings required to support all corporate/strategic initiatives.

Justin Courtney EVP & Chief Investment Officer, Priority Power

Justin Courtney EVP & Chief Investment Officer, Priority Power Justin Courtney is the Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Priority Power and previously served as the Chief Financial Officer. Courtney led the company’s recapitalization with Ara Partners in February 2019. He is responsible for coordinating the strategy and growth objectives for Priority, including M&A and capital initiatives.

Charles McConnell Executive Director, CCME, University of Houston

Charles McConnell Executive Director, CCME, University of Houston Charles McConnell is the Executive Director of the Center for Carbon Management in Energy (CCME) at the University of Houston. Prior to CCME, McConnell was the Executive Director of the Energy and Environment Initiative at Rice University. He served as the Assistant Secretary of Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy from 2011-13.

Marcos Gomez Director, Renewable Energy NA, BASF

Marcos Gomez Director, Renewable Energy NA, BASF Marcos Gomez has over two decades of experience in the Chemical Industry. Currently, GOmez is leading BASF’s efforts in Renewable Energy in North America serving as the Director of Renewable Energy in North America. He has previously held key leadership roles at BASF Corporation, including heading the Energy Procurement Team in North America, and more recently as Director of Strategy Process Catalysts and Sustainability Manager Catalysts Division.

James Seaba Program Director, ARPA-E

James Seaba Program Director, ARPA-E James Seaba currently serves as Program Director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). His focus at ARPA-E is on clean sustainable fuels and chemical production, novel energy systems designs, energy distribution, and energy storage. Seaba has spent over 30 years developing economically driven energy systems that minimize environmental impacts. He founded and led the Honda Research Institute (HRI) in Ohio.

Nigel McMullen Chief Operating Officer, Utility Global

Nigel McMullen Chief Operating Officer, Utility Global Nigel McMullen brings more than 30 years of industrial gas experience including 20+ years of P&L management where he delivered significant growth in the large-scale, long-term supply segment of the business. His strong business acumen, balance of operations and technical skills, combined with the ability to build strong results-oriented teams have enabled him to successfully deliver major capital projects.

Victor Lara Manager, Customer Success & Consulting, CMG

Victor Lara Manager, Customer Success & Consulting, CMG Victor Lara is an accomplished reservoir senior simulation engineer and manager with over two decades of experience in the oil and gas industry, energy transition, and subsurface modeling. Lara has been overseeing all Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects, providing expert consulting on CO2 sequestration, injection strategies, and caprock integrity risk assessment.

Matthew Seabaugh Founder, HeatPath Solutions

Matthew Seabaugh Founder, HeatPath Solutions Matthew Seabaugh is the Chief Product Officer at Nexceris and the Founder of HeatPath Solutions. Seabaugh has worked widely with catalyst and process developers to create cost-effective, easily implemented enhancements to existing and developing chemical processes. Seabaugh has 25 years of experience in the development of ceramic advanced materials and over 10 years of commercial experience in catalyst process development.

Pratik Chandhoke Sr. Manager, Technical Services, Renewables, Neste

Pratik Chandhoke Sr. Manager, Technical Services, Renewables, Neste Pratik Chandhoke is the Technical Fuel Manager for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at Neste. He is responsible for ensuring adherence to technical and operational standards for the blending, storage, and distribution of Neste MY SAF in the Americas. Previously, he spent 10 years at Rolls-Royce in the aerospace unit, where he had various product development, project management, and engineering roles.

Mariane Maximous VP, Feedstocks & Mechanical Recycling, LyondellBasell

Mariane Maximous VP, Feedstocks & Mechanical Recycling, LyondellBasell Mariane Maximous is a seasoned professional who has 24+ years of experience in the chemical industry. She currently leads the Feedstock and Mechanical Recycling team. Prior to LYB, Maximous led the global ethylene and methanol strategic sourcing team at Celanese. She started her career in 2001 as a process engineer with ExxonMobil in the Beaumont Olefins 7 Aromatics plant.

Ricardo Estrada VP, Sustainability & Procurement, Plastilene Group

Ricardo Estrada VP, Sustainability & Procurement, Plastilene Group Ricardo Estrada is a Sustainability and Procurement Vice President for Plastilene Group, a Multinational Company with South, Central, and North America facilities that strongly focus on sustainability, circular economy, and innovation. He led the implementation of Plastilene’s Strategic Sourcing and Global Procurement Corporate Strategy in 2014.

Jan Kalfus Director of Energy & Feedstocks, Braskem

Jan Kalfus Director of Energy & Feedstocks, Braskem Jan Kalfus is the Director of Energy & Feedstocks at Braskem Corporation, where he oversees market intelligence, strategic planning, and business development activities. He previously led the Global Catalysis and US Tech Center at Braskem, and worked in various roles in Chemicals and later Refining at ExxonMobil.

Sachin Sakhalkar SVP, Teknor Apex

Sachin Sakhalkar SVP, Teknor Apex Dr. Sachin Sakhalkar has 25+ years of experience in the specialty materials, chemicals, packaging, recycling, industrial, and personal care industries. At Teknor Apex, Dr. Sakhalkar has held several leadership roles as General Manager in its Thermoplastics Elastomers Division and Engineering Plastics division, and as a Senior Vice President of its Engineered Materials Value Chain.

Kristian Gubsch Co-Founder, Mars Materials

Kristian Gubsch Co-Founder, Mars Materials Kristian Gubsch is a chemical engineer and a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to store CO2 into everyday products. Previously, he was a climate tech researcher for 4 years, a Goldwater and Marshall Scholar and a Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow. In his role as Chief Technology Officer, he oversees the technology and engineering roadmap for Mars’ first-of-a-kind nitrilation technology.

Rob Helwick CEO & President, Meridian Chemicals

Rob Helwick CEO & President, Meridian Chemicals Rob Helwick is currently CEO & President of Meridian Chemicals, a pine chemicals manufacturer and distributor. Helwick has over 35 years of experience in the chemicals industry. Helwick previously was General Manager for Univar’s Industrial Chemicals business in the Gulf region. He has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University and a M.B.A. from University of Delaware.

Anahita Khanlari Solution Marketing Director, AspenTech

Anahita Khanlari Solution Marketing Director, AspenTech Anahita Khanlari is the Solution Marketing Director for Chemicals at AspenTech. In her role, she works with chemical manufacturers to increase the profitability and sustainability of operations leveraging digital solutions. She has broad experience in innovation, product development, manufacturing, and field applications in global chemicals markets including olefins, specialty monomers, and water treatment both as a researcher and an industry technical consultant.

Steve Brown President, Chemstations

Steve Brown President, Chemstations Steve Brown is currently President of Chemstations, Inc., a Datacor company. Chemstations offers CHEMCAD, an integrated suite of intuitive chemical process engineering software, actively used by more than 800 organizations around the world. For 29 years, he devoted his career to chemical process simulation software and promoting the impact of chemical engineers and chemical engineering on a variety of humanity’s challenges.

Walter Breidenstein CEO, GasTechno

Walter Breidenstein CEO, GasTechno Walter Breidenstein has more than 25 patents in the field of natural gas separation, and the conversion of natural gas to liquids, including one of the lowest-cost modular methanol production systems. Since 2019 he has built, tested, and patented several carbon-efficient CH4, 02, and H2 high-pressure compressor systems and conversion kits that allow methanol and hydrogen to be used in commercial vehicles reducing emissions by up to 80%.

Rajeev Agnihotri Advisor, Tech. Scouting, Innovation, ExxonMobil

Rajeev Agnihotri Advisor, Tech. Scouting, Innovation, ExxonMobil Rajeev Agnihotri has 24 years with ExxonMobil in various R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Strategy & Planning, and Commercial roles. He has a PhD ChE from Ohia State University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.

Carol Conomos Advisor, Mainspring Energy

Carol Conomos Advisor, Mainspring Energy Carol Conomos is an industry veteran with experience in midstream operating companies including Energy Transfer/Sunoco Logistics and CMS Field Services, as well as heavy industrial OEM equipment manufacturing, technology, packaging, rental fleet, and service companies. She holds B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, a Master’s degree in Engineering and Technology Management, and a P.E. license in the state of Oklahoma.

Tom Ambrose Co-Founder & Partner, Black Bay Partners

Tom Ambrose Co-Founder & Partner, Black Bay Partners Tom Ambrose is a Partner at Black Bay, where he serves on the firm’s Investment Committee and oversees Black Bay’s efforts in sourcing investments, executing transactions, monitoring active portfolio companies, and strategy. Previously, he was a VP at NGP ETP, where he was responsible for sourcing investments, transaction analysis and execution, and monitoring portfolio companies in the oilfield service and technology sector.

Chris Hogan MD, KeyBanc Capital Markets

Chris Hogan MD, KeyBanc Capital Markets Chris Hogan is a seasoned Managing Director in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of KeyBanc Capital Markets, where he has been a key player since 2004. With over two decades of investment banking experience, Hogan specializes in sell-side, buy-side, and financial advisory services for private equity firms and public and private companies. His expertise is notable in the Industrials sector, with a strong focus on Chemicals & Materials transactions.

Event Sponsors

Your vision.
Our platform.

We are incredibly grateful to our esteemed sponsors for their vision and support, which empowered us to deliver a truly impactful event.

I enjoyed the keynote with its provider-focused perspective. I always appreciate the market trends across the various segments.

Matthew Malone President & CEO

Being a CCUS speaker at the ADI Forum was highly valuable for both me and my company. The networking throughout the event was also excellent and impactful.

Victor Lara Senior Manager, Customer Success and Consulting

A valuable and well-balanced perspective on conventional energy and the evolving energy transition.

Manish Verma Manager, Investment and Business Development

The breadth of the session content and the quality and seniority of the attendees stood out.

Duncan Robinson Vice President

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2025 ADI Forum

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