Calendar: Past events 2019

4th Technology and Innovation Conference

4th Technology and Innovation Conference

4th Technology and Innovation Conference

On November 7th, 2019, the U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce (the “USRCC”) hosted its 4th Annual Technology and Innovation Conference organized by the USRCC Technology and Innovation Committee. This Conference was held at the Petroleum Club of Houston. 

This event was “by invitation only” and focused on some of the most current global technology trends in leading industries, such as oil and gas and aerospace. Topics of this year’s conference included Operational Excellence, Predictive maintenance, Remote Monitoring and Operations, Augmented Reality, Commercialization of R&D Projects, Start-up Companies and Innovative Technologies. Each sessions was moderated by the Innovation and Technology Committee member and followed by the Q&A and networking. The audience was actively involved in the discussions reflecting their interest in the conference’s topics. 

More than 80 attendees attended this year’s conference, including, vice presidents, chief technology officers, presidents, senior executives and technology leaders from Baker Hughes, Shell, TMK ISPCO, Halliburton, Emerson, ExxonMobil, Kinder Morgan, TAM International, Radix Engineering, Parker Drilling, Caterpillar, Moody Rambin, Exterran, Plug and Play, Salamander, Houston Airport System, CGG, Occidental Petroleum, Chevron,  Mitsui & Co., Weatherford, Intel Corporation, NOV, Gazprom Trading, Neftegas, Microsoft, Conoco Philips, representatives from the Harris County leadership, venture capital firms, private equity firms and many others.

Welcome remarks were made by the USRCC Chairman and were followed by the sponsor’s remarks from Joel Mastervich, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, TMK IPSCO, who emphasized the rich agenda of the event and greeted the audience on behalf TMK ISPCO, the Gold Sponsor of the Conference.

SPEAKERS

The morning keynote speaker, Jeff Monk, US Energy Industry Executive, Microsoft, focused his presentation on the topic of the “New Principles of Digital Transformation in the Energy Industry.”

Speakers of the first session “Operational Excellence” included Greg Powers, Vice President, Halliburton Global Innovation, and Jose Jimenez, Vice President, Global Strategic Accounts, Emerson Automation Solutions. The session  was moderated by Rich Frogge, President, Radix Engineering and Software. Presenters covered innovative technologies in operations of the oil and gas industry, including, oil field optimization.

“Predictive maintenance” session speakers included Reagan Kinser, General Manager, North Seamless Facilities, TMK IPSCO, Jeremy Hartings, Operations Manager – US South – Machinery Management Services, Solar Turbines Incorporated, Ganesh Nayak, Director, Product Line Development (Oil & Gas), Exterran Corporation, Leo Vitor Leartth Moreira, O&G Upstream Manager, Radix Engineering. The session was moderated by Alexei Tcherniak, PhD, Shell. The speakers discussed topics including digital core, data science applications, predictive analytics, efficiency monitoring, engineering troubleshooting, predictive and prescriptive maintenance and optimization, including, solar digital.

“Remote Monitoring and Operations” session included panel speakers Hani Elshahawi, Digitalization Lead – Deepwater Technology, Principal Technical Expert – Formation Testing and Sampling, Shell, Anders Johnson, Vice President Storage, Kinder Morgan, Richard Arndts, Senior Project Engineer, TMK IPSCO, Michael Bates, General Manager, Intel Energy. The session was moderated by Andrey Klimushin, Emerson. Presenters covered innovative technologies in remote controlling and monitoring systems, including, in the upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas.

The luncheon keynote speaker Harvin Moore, President and CEO, Houston Exponential, emphasized Houston’s booming tech economy, shared his view on the importance of constant changes and implementation of innovation in business, education, IT, public transportation, and other areas. He also stressed importance of attracting talent and capital to the region, and promoting Houston as a thriving, and innovative city.  

The luncheon keynote presentation was followed by the “Augmented Reality” session, which included Athicha Dhanormchitphong and Kyle Daughtry with ExxonMobil IT / IT Strategy / Architecture & Technology  and Jeff Potts, Cyber-Physical Systems Leader, Baker Hughes. Speakers discussed AR and VR technologies and their implementation in the different fields, specifically in safety training, and showed various VR/AR practical applications.

“Commercialization of R&D Projects” session included speaker panel with Andrea Course, Venture Principal, Shell Technology Ventures, Michael Trudeau, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy Office, Intel Corporation, Ben van den Brule, CEO, Salamander Solutions Inc., and Wade Bitaraf, Founder, Energy & Sustainability, Plug and Play. They covered different topics from selection of the start-ups and their technologies, to spin off of the technologies and R&D commercialization done by the oil and gas companies to the use of technologies in selecting M&A targets.

Afternoon Keynote Speaker was Arturo Machuca, General Manager of Houston Spaceport who shared with the audience current developments in the Houston Spaceport and space innovation developed in and attracted to Houston.

“Start-up Companies and Innovation Technologies” session panel included Sam Cheney, Technology Manager, Majorpack, Inc., Jonathan Avila, Manager, Business Development, Serl.io, Marat Zaripov, AI Driller, and Chris McManaman, Vice President, Product Development, Ignite ETRM. It was moderated by David Diederich, Vice President, Engineering, Research and Development, TMK IPSCO. Speakers presented to the audience their innovations and practical application.

The Conference concluded with the networking session where speakers and attendees exchanged opinions and made new business connections.

We would like to thank all the attendees, speakers, moderators, USRCC volunteers, USRCC Technology and Innovation Committee members and our Gold Sponsor TMK IPSCO for their support.

For event pictures visit our Facebook page.

TESTIMONIALS

“This years USRCC Technology and Innovation conference was very well attended and contained a large amount of relevant content related to the most advanced topics that are dominating the energy industry.  Seeing participation from some of our top partners and customers demonstrates the need for us to connect and collaborate in these types of forums.  I was impressed with the line of questioning in the Q&A sessions after each speaker.  In fact, the only thing I would submit for future consideration is less presentation time, but more Q&A time, where the questioning created some provocative discussions that will continue beyond the event.  On behalf of Microsoft, we appreciate the opportunity to present at this event and look forward to participating in the future. “

Jeff Monk

Sr Industry Executive, Microsoft US Energy Industry, Microsoft US Energy Community Leader
  “It was indeed my pleasure to participate in this event, which I found quite rich and relevant in content.”

Hani Elshahawi

Digitalization Lead - Deepwater Technology, Principal Technical Expert - Formation Testing and Sampling, Shell Technology Center Houston.
“The event was well organized and the layout was conducive for networking. Great exchange of information. I enjoyed the presentations, venue, and the setup  – great work making the conference a success! “

Anders T. Johnson

Kinder Morgan, VP Storage
“I very much enjoyed the program. It is always a good opportunity to learn from others; the presenters and the audience who were very actively engaged and asked insightful questions. Thank you very much for offering me the opportunity to share my experiences in starting up our business. I look forward to your upcoming events.”

Ben van den Brule

CEO, Salamander Solutions Inc.
“It was a really insightful conference. I was completely impressed with the content of all the speakers.Thanks for allowing me to participate!”

Chris McManaman

Vice President, Product Development, Ignite ETRM
“I enjoyed the conference!  The exclusive event was packed with executives and great speakers.  The sessions and panels were very informative and insightful.  The intimate setting provided a great opportunity to network with industry leaders.”

Athicha Dhanormchitphong

Immersive Technology Architect, ExxonMobil IT / IT Strategy / Architecture & Technology

Past events 2019

See all past events and activities

Summer Networking Event

Summer Networking Event

On August 29, 2019 the USRCC hosted the Summer Business Networking Event at The West End – A Public House, Houston, TX.

The event drew more than 50 business professionals from a variety of different industries and backgrounds, including Oil & Gas, IT, Oil and Gas, Banking, Financial, Law, Real Estate Development, and many others. Among others, the attendees included representatives from Dunbar Harder, ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Eckel Manufacturing, Turkish Airlines, Moody Rambin, BBVA, Rusk Capital Management, Atlantic Ro Ro, and others.

Attendees had a chance to make new business connections and learn about the USRCC’s upcoming events. We would like to thank our attendees, members and volunteers for joining us at this Networking Event and making the event possible.

To view event pictures, visit our Facebook page.

Upcoming events

The USRCC’s 10th Anniversary Reception

The USRCC’s 10th Anniversary Reception

On May 30, 2019, the U.S. – Russia Chamber of Commerce (“USRCC”) hosted its “by invitation only” 10th Anniversary Reception. The celebration took place at the Hilton Americas-Houston, Downtown.

The celebration started with the opening remarks provided by the USRCC Chairman of the Board, Andrew Pidgirsky, who thanked the USRCC members, partners and stakeholders for their support and briefly described the USRCC’s achievements over the last decade.

Opening remarks were followed by the speech made by Mr. Piotr Galitzine, Chairman and CEO, TMK IPSCO/President, U.S. – Russia Chamber of Commerce, who congratulated the USRCC on the 10th anniversary and emphasized the important role the USRCC plays in the development of the U.S. – Russia business relations.

Mr. Galitzine’s speech was followed by congratulatory remarks made by Jack Christie, Council Member, At-Large 5, City of Houston and Hon. Alexander Pisarev, Consul General of the Russian Federation, who congratulated the USRCC on achieving such a significant milestone.

Remarks were followed by an award ceremony that honored the USRCC members and supporters whose dedication and contribution helped the organization to continue its mission to shape the business relations between Russia and the U.S.A. The USRCC’s award ceremony included 6 nominations: Leadership Award, Advisor Award, Civic Leadership Award, Corporate Support Award, Major Corporate Contributor Award, and In-Kind Support Award.

The event was very well received by the attendees who expressed their confidence that the U.S. – Russia Chamber of Commerce will continue to grow and prosper.

We would like to thank our Anniversary Patron TMK IPSCO and Bronze Sponsors TechTrans International and UNI International for their support.

Please visit our FaceBook Page to view the event pictures.

Anniversary Patron

Upcoming events

3rd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series with H. Daniel Hogan

3rd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series with H. Daniel Hogan

On May 23, 2019, the U.S – Russia Chamber of Commerce (“USRCC”) in partnership with Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston – Downtown, hosted its 3rd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series with H. Daniel Hogan, General Manager, LUKOIL International Upstream West. The event was organized by the USRCC Young Professionals Committee.

The 3rd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series started with opening remarks made by the USRCC Management and were followed by welcome remarks provided by Brett Hobby, Director, Career Center, Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston-Downtown. Mr. Hobby greeted the audience on behalf of the University of Houston-Downtown, provided information about various Career Center’s services, and wished everyone a great and productive discussion.

Mr. Hobby’s speech was followed by introductory remarks made by Ilya Aranovich, USRCC Young Professionals Committee Chair, who gave a brief overview of the USRCC’S Young Professionals programs, talked about the goal of the event and its agenda. Then, he turned the podium over to the keynote speaker Mr. Hogan.

Mr. Hogan starter his presentation with a quote made by an American singer Dolly Parton: “I don’t try to tell other people what to do.  People always say ‘what type of advice do you give?’  I don’t give advice, I have information if you want to know some facts and if you want to know sometimes how I dealt with something, but I do believe everybody has a right to be themselves. Everyone has their own path and their own road to walk, and everybody’s talent is different”.  By this quote, Mr. Hogan emphasized that he came to share his experience and knowledge and not to tell attendees what exactly they should do to succeed as he believes that everyone has different paths.

During the presentation, Mr. Hogan shared with the audience his educational and professional journey and pointed out the importance of having a list of personal values that should guide a person throughout his or her career.

Mr. Hogan spoke about the career lessons he learned the hard way, emphasized the importance of the work-life balance and personal sacrifices that some positions may require, and shared his key attributes of professional success: willingness to do what is asked of you (within your values) and hard work.

Mr. Daniel Hogan’s speech was accompanied by a lot of questions from young professionals and he gave an honest answer to each one of them. He answered questions like how to deal with work-related pressure and stress, what set of skills a person should have to make it to the C-level, how to select the right people for your team, how to nurture a talent, and many others.

The lively Q&A session was followed by the networking session where attendees had a chance to have a talk with Mr. Daniel Hogan, meet other young professionals from various industries, and exchange business cards.

We would like to thank the keynote speaker Mr. Daniel Hogan, attendees, USRCC Young Professionals Committee members and the team of the Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston – Downtown for hosting this wonderful event!

Testimonials

“The 3rd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series event was meaningful and engaging. Its format was conducive to networking and learning from inspirational leaders in the field, such as Daniel Hogan.  The USRCC team was instrumental in guiding the engaging discussion with the keynote speaker.”

– Leana N. Garipova, Attorney at law, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Attorney at law.

The event with Dan Hogan of Lukoil was fantastic!  Attendees were treated to a well-spoken and seasoned professional who openly shared about his successes and challenges within the energy industry.  He also eagerly talked with attendees one-on-one before and after the event helping to ensure a successful event.

– Brett Hobby, Director, Career Center, Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston-Downtown.

“A great practical event, packed with so expanded young business community professionals, businesses and great speaker from the corp world, offering a unique balance between academic research and industrial experience.
Folks with diverse expertise, very conductive to networking and learning from the leaders in the field, all the staff are very professional and helpful, great thanks”

– Khadim Urazbayev, Contracts Lead, Kashagan. Attendee.

“It’s always a pleasure attending the US Russian Chamber of Commerce events. Whether the occasion is for corporate networking purposes or gaining knowledge from The Young Professional Committee, the meetings are always informative, enjoyable and diversified. Tamara and Natalia do an exceptional job of coordinating events and presenting speakers that not only insightful, but engaging as well. The energy can always be felt throughout the room while networking with others. Mr. Pidgirsky consistently checks to how he may be of assistance to others in any way, and if he can’t, he’s more than happy to place you in the path of someone who can further guide you. I look forward to becoming one of the chamber’s members and maintaining a lasting business relationship.”

– Rodger Green, Arkhein Global. Attendee.

To view the event pictures please visit our Facebook page.

Upcoming events

The 10th Annual Welcome Reception Honoring Delegations from  Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC 2019)

The 10th Annual Welcome Reception Honoring Delegations from Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC 2019)

On May 7th, 2019, the USRCC held its 10th Annual Reception Honoring Delegations from Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to the Offshore Technology Conference at Hotel ZAZA, Houston, TX.On May 7th, 2019, the USRCC held its 10th Annual Reception Honoring Delegations from Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to the Offshore Technology Conference at Hotel ZAZA, Houston, TX.
On May 7th, 2019, the USRCC held its 10th Annual Reception Honoring Delegations from Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to the Offshore Technology Conference at Hotel ZAZA, Houston, TX.

This year the reception was attended by about 250 international business professionals including leading experts and executives from oil and gas industry, banking, shipping, transportation and logistics companies, translation companies, suppliers, investors, and Government officials.

Among others, the attendees included representatives from Microsoft, Baker Hughes, a GE Company, Chevron Corporation, Turkish Airlines, Dunbar Harder, Parker Drilling, OFS International, ConocoPhillips, Emerson, BICO Drilling Tools, Drillmec, Atlantic Ro Ro, Volga-Dnepr, Salamander Solutions, Radix Digital Engineering, Gazprom Marketing & Trading USA, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo Advisors, American Petroleum Institute, Neftegaz Holding America, Wood Group, Merichem Company, Miller and Lents LTD, Titan Oil Recovery, GustoMSC, an NOV company, IHS Markit, University of Houston, City of Houston, Consulate General of the Russian Federation, and many others.

The delegation from the CIS regions was represented by professionals from SOCAR, Atlas, KBR Kazakhstan, Kazgiproneftetrans LLP, TengizChevrOil (TCO), Oil and Gas of Kazakhstan, Inprocon Engineering, Kazgiproneftetrans LLP, Urker EPC, Senimdi Kurylys LLP (JV b/w Bechtel and Enka), MIA Group LLP, and Diara plus LLP, Neftservis Prokat, Gazpromneft.

Welcome remarks were made by Jack Christie, Council Member, At-Large 5, who greeted the audience on behalf the City of Houston. Mr. Christie’s remarks were followed by the speech made by Alexander Pisarev, Consul General of the Russian Federation, who welcomed the CIS delegations to the Offshore Technology Conference 2019. Remarks made by the Government officials were followed by the speech made by Mr. David Gadzhimirzaev, Fullstream Director, Baker Hughes, a GE Company, a Silver Sponsor of the event.

This year’s reception has also included the raffle sponsored by Turkish Airlines. Mr. Yigit Avci, General Manger,Houston, Turkish Airlines, welcomed the attendees, congratulated the USRCC on its 10th Anniversary and made a presentation about the company and its new airport in Istanbul.

The USRCC has received a strong support from its sponsors, partners and volunteers. The event was generously sponsored by TMK IPSCO, Baker Hughes, a GE Company, Chevron Corporation, Dunbar Harder, and Turkish Airlines.

Please visit our FaceBook Page to view event pictures.

———————————————————————————————————-

Testimonials

“OTC Reception organized by the U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce is one the major events during OTC Conference that brings American and Russian/Caspian region Oil& Gas industry professionals and decision makers together. This crucial event promotes business collaboration on multiple levels and further enhances mutual relationship. This high echelon event should continue to be a tradition bringing the countries closer together”.

Farhod Hamidov, Country Manager – Russia/CIS, BICO Drilling Tools, Inc.

“Turkish Airlines was glad to be the Raffle Sponsor at the reception organized by the U.S. Russia Chamber’s 10th annual welcome reception to welcome delegates from Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan at OTC. The event was well attended, and most of the attendees were familiar with Turkish Airlines and many had the opportunity to experience the carrier. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Chamber in order to network and create awareness of the Turkish Airlines Corporate Club program”.  

Ken Bhappu, Regional Corporate Sales Manager, Turkish Airlines

“It was a great pleasure to attend the 10th Annual OTC Reception hosted by US-Russia Chamber of Commerce this week. It is a great annual event that provides a forum for business counterparts from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and U.S. to discuss today’s trends and opportunities in the energy industry and beyond. I look forward to participating in this event again next year”.

Tim Madraimov, Corporate Development Manager, Parker Drilling

Upcoming events

The U.S. Russia Chamber of Commerce at NAPE

The U.S. Russia Chamber of Commerce at NAPE

The U.S. Russia Chamber of Commerce (USRCC) is pleased to participate in NAPE International for the 6th year in a row.

The  USRCC is proud to be part of NAPE Summit 2019 that is held in Houston, TX and would like to thank all visitors for spending their time at our booth #4829. It was our pleasure meeting representatives of diverse companies from Oil & Gas, Petroleum, Engineering and Banking industries, as well as representatives of consulting companies and universities from all over the U.S. We enjoyed the networking and were impressed by the interest of the U.S. companies in the USRCC services. We are looking forward to seeing you all next year!

Upcoming events

USRCC Business Networking Event

USRCC Business Networking Event

On January 24, 2019 the U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce (“USRCC”) hosted a Business Networking Event at The West End – A Public House, Houston, TX. The event gathered more than 70 business professionals from various industries, including Oil & Gas, Healthcare, Logistics, Banking, Real Estate, and many others. Representatives of such companies like ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Tenaris, TMK IPSCO, Ethos Energy, Fieldwood Energy, Moody Rambin, Element Americas, NDT Global, Port of Rotterdam, Turkish Airlines, LUKOIL, Parsons Corporation, and many others have attended the event. New connections and partnerships with USRCC members and guests were made during the evening.

 

50872870_2008937985828494_7948211476626407424_n
50927123_2008937959161830_7334651947871371264_n
During the event, the audience was greeted by the USRCC leadership and the reception attendees were provided with the information about the 2019 events and encouraged everyone to participate and support  the USRCC’s effort to promote trade and investment between Russia, CIS, and the U.S.  
 
Afterward, attendees received a warm welcome from Viacheslav, Levchik, Vice Consul, Consulate General of the Russian Federation who emphasized the importance of the U.S. – Russia business relations as well as the importance of the USRCC’s work.
 
Finally, the USRCC has welcomed its newest member – Turkish Airlines. Mr. Ken Bhappu, Regional Corporate Sales Manager, greeted the audience on behalf of the company and provided short overview of Turkish Airlines Corporate Club program and its benefits and provided the list of destinations in Russia that are currently a part of the Turkish Airlines network. 
 
We would like to thank our attendees, members, and volunteers for joining us at the USRCC’s first event of 2019!
 
To view event pictures visit our Facebook page.

Upcoming events

HR Panel and Networking Event  “Landing the Dream Entry-Level job”

HR Panel and Networking Event “Landing the Dream Entry-Level job”

On February 21, the U.S – Russia Chamber of Commerce (“USRCC”) in partnership with Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston – Downtown, hosted its 3rd Annual HR Panel and Networking Event “Landing the Dream Entry-Level job”. The event was organized by the USRCC Young Professionals Committee and took place at the University of Houston-Downtown.

Welcome remarks were provided by Dr. Charles Gengler, Dean, Marilyn Davies College of Business who greeted the guests on behalf of the University of Houston-Downtown.

Welcome remarks were followed by opening speech made by Ilya Aranovich, USRCC Young Professionals Committee Chair. Mr. Aranovich gave a brief overview of the event agenda and encouraged the panelists to introduce themselves.

Panel speakers included Hazel Fraser, Regional Human Resources, Manager, Parker Drilling, Heather Dulin, Director, Talent Acquisition & Organizational Development, National Oilwell Varco, and Erik Wilhelmi, Upstream Recruiting Advisor, ExxonMobil.  The panel was moderated by Ilya Aranovich, Director of Licensing, North America, Europe, CIS Regions, GTC Technology US, Young Professionals, Committee Chair, U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce.

During the discussion, panelists provided the audience with professional opinions about what counts in landing a dream job if you are a young professional with no or little professional experience. Panelists empathized the difference between the dream job and the dream career and explained why that difference matters, and gave some important tips on how to stand out from the big pool of candidates, how to write a catchy resume, and described the best approaches for finding a job in the modern highly competitive environment.

During the Q&A session, the attendees asked their most pressing questions regarding the job search process and received comprehensive answers from HR professionals.

We would like to thank all the panelists, attendees, USRCC Young Professionals Committee members and the team of the Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston  – Downtown!

Testimonials

“It was a privilege to be invited to speak and network at the Russian Chamber of Commerce Young Professional Event at UH Downtown. These types of gatherings are critical to building perspective, relationships, and opportunity-nothing beats face to face connections!  I was especially impressed with the engagement of the audience members as they were both bold and eager to share their stories and seek out insights to move their career forward.”

– Heather Dulin, Director, Talent Acquisition & Organizational Development, National Oilwell Varco.

“The HR Panel event on 2/21 was fantastic.  The three attending recruiters represented top companies in Houston and provided a wealth of knowledge and advice to attendees that will assist in their job search and career planning.  Attendees were glad they attended and we all look forward to future events with the US Russia Chamber of Commerce.”

–  Brett Hobby,  Director,  Career Center,  Marilyn Davies College of Business,  University of Houston-Downtown.

“The young professionals event was very insightful, and the Chambers staff and members were extremely welcoming, engaging and friendly. The topic for the meeting “Landing the dream job” was a very relevant topic to me personally and as a young professional who recently obtained a graduate degree, I know how difficult and frustrating the hiring process can be. The panelists that the Chamber brought together were fantastic and they gave the right message and information that young professionals or people that are looking for a job need.”

–  Alex  Habib, MHA/MBA,  Marketing and Business Development, Biomedent.

For the event pictures visit our Facebook page.

Upcoming events