ALLY Energy™ Names Finalists for 6th Annual GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces

The leading industry resource for diverse talent, careers, and culture celebrates top leaders, teams, and companies powering our world and the energy transition

HOUSTON, Sept. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --  ALLY Energy is proud to announce the 6th Annual GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces will be held on October 26, 2022, at The Bell Tower on 34th Street in Houston, Texas and online with thousands expected. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant recognition in the energy industry worldwide. Nominations are open to the public. The shortlisted finalists include 75 leaders, 21 teams, and 15 companies with representation across the globe in oil and gas, power and utilities, wind, solar, hydrogen, nuclear, climate tech startups, and academia. To learn more, register or sponsor the GRIT Awards, visit here.

Honorable Shalanda Baker, the Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity and Secretarial Advisory on Equity with the United States Department of Energy will serve as the keynote speaker. Ms. Baker, an author, energy policy leader, lawyer, and graduate of the United States Air Force Academy will talk about equity and justice and what it means for the energy transition.

"This year's GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces finalists are a diverse cohort of game-changing entrepreneurs, gritty leaders, collaborative teams, and companies committed to combatting climate change. The energy workforce is doing great things to transform our energy ecosystem and we're excited to spotlight exceptional talent and culture," said Katie Mehnert, Founder and CEO of ALLY Energy.

ALLY Energy is committed to a fair and equitable process and in 2022 launched advanced bias-reduction technology to assess candidates more equitably. Winners are selected through a blind application review by external judges. This year ALLY Energy is honoring for the first time ever, four Lifetime Achievement Award winners. Winners have demonstrated a distinguished career championing change in energy and climate in the private or public sector in the areas of technology, policy, and workforce.

• Honorable Sylvester Turner, Mayor, City of Houston
• Elizabeth Gerbel, Chief Executive Officer, EAG
• Lorenzo Simonelli, Chief Executive Officer, Baker Hughes
• Kevin Sagara, Executive Vice President and Group President, Sempra

Finalists in this year's awards include

JEDI Award

• Alycia Ahrens, Shell, Senior Project Engineer
• Andrew Paul, ChampionX, District Manager, Oman, and Qatar
• Aparna Kakani, Baker Hughes, Director, Technical Product Management
• Hang Bower, Ethos Consulting LC, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder
• Lwanga Yonke, Aera Energy LLC, Process Analyst
• Tre Simms, Southwestern Energy, General Manager, Commercial Development
• Vikrant Lakhanpal, Proline Energy Resources Inc, Petroleum Engineer

ESG/Climate Champions

• Alexander John Cruz, Baker Hughes, Knowledge Manager, Energy Transition Solutions
• Allyson Anderson Book, Baker Hughes, Vice President Energy Transition
• Amanda Copperthite, Honeywell, Vice President, Strategy, Marketing, Consultancy
• Daniel Cohan, Rice University, Associate Professor
• Heidi Stehling, Baker Hughes, Energy Transition Emissions Excellence Leader
• Jonathan Dethloff, Aera Energy LLC, Carbon Technology Lead
• Kelsey Hultberg, Sunnova Energy International Inc, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications and Sustainability
• Loan Tran, ExxonMobil, GHG, and Climate Change Advocacy Manager
• Maggie Teliska, Enel North America, Manager of BESS Tech Services
• Maruthi Devarakonda, ChampionX, Senior R&D Manager Emissions
• Rakhi Oli, Flowserve Corporation, Global Strategy Leader
• Smitha Hariharan, Halliburton, Global Head of Sustainability

Professionals

• Angelique Mesch, Baker Hughes, Senior Digital Product Manager
• Arthi Vasudevan, Baker Hughes, Senior Product Manager, Cybersecurity
• Bhakti Salunkhe, Puranik Foundation, Executive Director
• Brandon Georgetown, ChampionX, Supply Planner
• Catalina Leal Isaza, Baker Hughes, Product Quality Director
• Charles Huck, EAG, Senior Manager
• Chineye Agbaje, Olidata Energy Group, Business Development Executive
• Crystal Martinez, Certarus, Technical Training Lead
• Daniel Klick, Shell, Project Manager
• David Rodriguez, Enel North America, Director of Innovation
• Deanna Zhang, ETM Advisors, Advisor
• Devon Peterika, Worley, Regional Diversity, and Inclusion Manager
• Dominique Brister, Marathon Oil, Senior Executive Reporting Analyst
• Ellen Teresa Scott, Southwestern Energy, Senior HR Business Partner
• Gagandeep Bhatia, Baker Hughes, Senior Technical Product Manager
• Jacinta Williams, ExxonMobil, Guyana Senior Project Manager
• Kim Sabate-Strazde, Baker Hughes, HR Partner
• Kim Pinyopusarerk, Callon Petroleum, Sustainability, and Communications Manager
• Lille Kom, Halliburton, Finance Manager
• Mariam Lakhani, Marathon Oil, Planning Manager, Africa, and Conventional Assets
• Mervin Ekpen Azeta, Schlumberger, Global Flexible Work, and Culture Project Manager
• Nicole Hart Wagoner, University of Nevada, Reno, Graduate Research Assistant
• Noureen Faizee, Worley, Strategy Director
• Oghogho Effiom, Shell, Domestic Gas Business Opportunity Manager
• Patty Whitmire, EAG, Director of Land
• Preshit Gawade, Baker Hughes, Executive Director New Energies
• Robin Evans, Worley, GID Director
• Roobi Roobi, Baker Hughes, Training Innovation Specialist
• Sarah Phillips, Knight Energy Services, Petroleum Engineer Account Manager
• Stefano Mazzoni, Mazzoni Geoscience, Consulting Geoscientist
• Stephanie Scollard, Wood Mackenzie, Senior Product Owner
• Tola Oloyede, Total Energies, HR Director
• Victoria Brown, EAG, Controller
• Yogashri Pradhan, Coterra Energy, Reservoir Engineer
• Zainub Noor, Halliburton, Director, Scouting, and Innovation

GRITTY Girls, sponsored by Ovintiv

• Abhaya Chopra, University of Houston, Chair of the Energy Coalition
• Chioma Onwumelu, University of North Dakota, Assistant Research Scientist
• Ogochukwu Ozotta, University of North Dakota, Geoscience Graduate Research

Executives

• Cheya Dunlap, Honeywell, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer
• Ed Ashton, Halliburton, Strategic Business Manager
• Gretchen Gillis, Aramco, Senior Geological Consultant
• Heather Cykoski, ABB, Group Vice President
• Hilde Pihl, Equinor ASA, Senior Vice President
• Kara Branch, Black Girls Do Engineer Corporation, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
• Kristen Lipski, Halliburton, Vice President, South Central Area
• Liz Dennett, Wood Mackenzie, Vice President, Data Architecture and Data Engineering
• Mark Eley, ChampionX, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Technology
• Sandy Lee, Saber Equity, an S&B Company, Chief Executive Officer
• Sonya Batchelor, Baker Hughes, Vice President, Strategic Accounts
• Tania Zachari, Techniques International Corp, Chief Executive Officer

Entrepreneurs

• Hans-Christian Schulze, IOWN Renewable Energy Inc., Chief Executive Officer, and President
• Kelsey Putman Hughes, Sun Wolf Energy, Chief Executive Officer
• Rita Hansen, Onboard Dynamics LLC, Chief Executive Officer
• Suman Khatiwada, Syzygy Plasmonics, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder
• Trevor Best, Syzygy Plasmonics, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Best Teams & ERGs, sponsored by ChampionX

• 50/50 Women on Boards
• AAPG Women's Network
• ASIA Network, ChampionX
• Asian American Resource Community, Marathon Oil
• Black Employees and Allies, Marathon Oil
• D&I Group Celle Germany, Baker Hughes
• EmBRace, Woodside Energy
• Essence, ChampionX
• FEMINEN, Enbridge
• Kuumba Network, Worley
• LatinX Network, Baker Hughes
• Lean In Equity & Sustainability
• PRIDE @ Work, Baker Hughes
• PRIDE Network, Halliburton
• RISE Network, ChampionX
• SEED Network, ChampionX
• Sustainability Team at Worley
• Women Adding Value Everywhere, Shell USA
• Women in Climate Technology
• Women's Network, Marathon Oil
• Women Pipeline to CEO, Worley

Best Workplaces

• Aera Energy
• Baker Hughes
• ChampionX
• EAG
• Enel North America
• Forefront Power
• IOWN Renewable Energy
• Marathon Oil Company
• Nth Cycle
• Ovintiv
• Sunnova Energy International
• Syzygy Plasmonics
• TGS
• TPI Composites
• Wood

About ALLY Energy™ and the GRIT Awards

ALLY Energy is the leading energy and climate talent community and marketplace that accelerates connections, careers, and skills for a just energy transition. The community includes professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs, and students in 120 countries in nearly 3,000 companies across energy in oil and natural gas, utilities, renewables, and climate technology. ALLY is an inaugural member of Greentown Labs, North America's largest climate technology incubator for high-growth companies. The GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces is the only of its kind annual energy workforce recognition program that uses bias-reduction technology to assess winners.

Media Contact

Jo Madriaga, ALLY Energy Inc, +1 281-741-5482, [email protected]

SOURCE ALLY Energy Inc