Calendar: YP Past events

The 4th Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series Live Webinar

The 4th Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series Live Webinar

On June 25, 2020, the USRCC and its Young Professionals Committee hosted the 4th Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series Live Webinar with William Marsh, Chief Legal Officer & Board Member, Baker Hughes.
 
This annual event was held using the on-line platform.  During the webinar Mr. Marsh addressed the new ways of doing business, future of the work place, business risks and opportunities in oil and gas industry, and the strategies to build a successful career.  About 30-40 attendees were able to get engaged in a lively Q&A session moderated by Ilya Aranovich, Young Professionals Committee Chair.

Will Marsh was the Chief Legal Officer at Baker Hughes since the merger of Baker Hughes with the GE Oil & Gas business in 2017 through April 2020.  Prior to his that, Marsh served as Vice President and General Counsel of Baker Hughes Incorporated starting in February 2013.

Marsh joined Baker Hughes in 1998 and has served in various executive, legal, compliance and corporate roles, including Vice President of Legal, Western Hemisphere from May 2009 to February 2013 and Director of Enterprise Risk Strategies from March 2006 to May 2009. As Director of Enterprise Risk Strategies, he designed and implemented Baker Hughes’ Enterprise Risk Management program to assist in strategic planning and the Board’s oversight of risks.

Marsh is currently a member of the BJ Services Board of Directors and was formerly a member of the Board of Directors of Peoples Utah Bancorp.

To read the full bio please click here.

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The 3d Annual Young Professionals Speed Mentoring Session & Networking Event

The 3d Annual Young Professionals Speed Mentoring Session & Networking Event

The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce held “The 3d Annual Young Professionals Speed Mentoring Session & Networking Event”.

 

Speed Mentoring is a great opportunity for young professionals ages 21-40 to get advice from a number of experienced professionals in the most time-efficient manner. 

The attendees had a chance to get an objective analysis of their professional strengths and weaknesses, to ask questions outside their current employment, to build connections and to get insight into the industry of their interests or a career changes.

The Mentors of the 3rd Annual Speed Mentoring Session were: Annie Yang, Economic Development Director in Harris County; Tom Ford, Senior Vice President at Moody Rambin; Jason Brummerhop, Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager at Global Trade Solutions for the Global Banking Team of Amegy Bank; Kevin Pennell, Pertner in Pennel Law Firm PLLC.

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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.

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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.

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2nd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series: from young professional to industry leader

2nd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series: from young professional to industry leader

On September the 18th the USRCC hosted its “2nd Annual Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series: a Young Professional to an Industry Leader” organized by the USRCC Young Professionals Committee. The event took place at the University of Houston, Bauer College of Business and featured Mr. Marco MarsiliVice President, New Business Development & Commercial North America and Brazil, Shell International Exploration and ProductionCompany, Upstream and Integrated Gas.
The presentation made by Mr. Marsili truly resonated with the audience of young professionals as many of them were looking for an expert advice on career progression. Mr. Marsili discusses his personal professional journey, provided a valuable advice on how to improve leadership skills, knowledge and attitude to reach personal goals and advance career, emphasized the key strategies for discovering professional core values and shared how effectively engage and motivate people.
 
Testimonials:
 
“Having attended my first Young Professionals event with the Russian Chamber of Commerce, I feel that there is much benefit in the program. Firstly, the speaker for this event was from the top echelon of a major oil and gas company, and it is not often that young professionals get career insight from Vice Presidents of a company like Shell. Secondly, Mr. Marsili’s presentation was broad enough in nature to be of interest even to those who are not currently doing business in Russia. I believe such events can attract a wider range of professionals to network with and create goodwill for the Chamber at large.
 
Overall the program was well organized and timed. I particularly enjoyed the Q&A session and an open discussion with Mr. Marsili”.
 
Irina Reshetnikova, Contracts and Procurement, Shell Pipeline S&D Projects
 
To view the event pictures visit or FaceBook Page

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2nd Annual Speed Mentoring and Networking Event

2nd Annual Speed Mentoring and Networking Event

On June 6, 2018 the U.S.- Russia Chamber of Commerce (USRCC) hosted its 2nd Annual Young Professionals Speed Mentoring and Networking event that took place at the University of Houston Downtown, Marilyn Davies College of Business and drew a crowd of more than 40 young professionals from the various industries.
 
The event started with opening remarks provided by Ilya Aranovich, USRCC Young Professionals Committee Chair and welcome remarks provided by Dr. Kevin Barksdale, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Marilyn Davies College of Business, who greeted the guests on behalf of the University of Houston Downtown and encouraged all the mentors to introduce themselves. 
Opening remarks were followed by speed mentoring sessions during which mentors shared their experience and professional challenges, gave advice on what worked for them the best and shared what they would have they done differently. 
 
Mentees had an opportunity to discuss professional strengths, exchange business cards, ask questions, and gain insights from senior business professionals. 
 
The overall goal of the speed mentoring was for the mentees to get a quick snippet of mentoring advice from each mentor in order to continue in the quest of growing within their careers.
 
Our special thanks to all the mentors:
 
Michelle Hundley, Economic Development Advisor, Office of Harris County Judge Ed Emmett
 
Stephen Fulton, General Manager, Shipping and Logistics, TMK IPSCO
                                               
Dr. Kevin Barksdale, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston Downtown
 
Mikhail Antonov, President and Managing Director, Gazprom Marketing and Trading, USA
 
Nikolay Gergov, Vice President, Relationship Manager, Corporate Banking, BBVA Compass
 
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Testimonial by Steve Fulton, General Manager Shipping and Logistics, TMK IPSCO:
 
“I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Speed Mentoring Forum yesterday.  I felt this was a great event to be a part of, lots of different experiences at each table!   I’m hopeful the experiences I shared were informative and useful to the group and spurred some thoughts and ideas on how to plan their professional careers.  This Forum has given me some interesting thoughts I can convey and work on with our young group at our Corporate location.   Thank you for that!
 
I would be interested in participating in a future event if I’m available to do so.”

Upcoming events

1st Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series from  Young Professional to Industry Leader

1st Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series from Young Professional to Industry Leader

On June 27, the USRCC Young Professionals Committee hosted the 1st Senior Executive Knowledge Sharing Series event that took place at TMK IPSCO facility, Houston, TX  and drew more than 50 young professionals from diverse companies and industries. 
 
The event included TMK IPSCO R&D facility tour which was provided by Ryan Broussard, USRCC Young Professionals Committee member, Senior Product Development Engineer, TMK IPSCO, and Dhiren Panda, General Manager of Technology, TMK IPSCO. During the tour attendees had an opportunity to learn about metallurgy, testing and development of steel pipe, testing of premium pipe connections for the oil and gas industry. 
The R&D tour was followed by the presentation made by the keynote speaker Piotr Galitzine, Chairman and CEO, TMK IPSCO. During the presentation Mr. Galitzine provided the audience with a company’s profile including services, business structure and shared his personal story about his professional journey and discussed how to improve skills, knowledge and attitude to reach personal goals and advance career.
 
To view event photos visit our Facebook page

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HR Panel and Networking event

HR Panel and Networking event

HR Panel and Networking event

On February 22, 2017 the U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce (USRCC) hosted a Young Professionals HR Panel and Networking event that drew up to 40 young professionals from diverse companies and industries. The event took place at Adams & Reese, LLP, Houston, Downtown.

HR Panel included: Bryan Stotler, Sr. HR Manager SPHR, SHRM-SCP TMK IPSCO, Anna Bogdanova, Human Resources and Talent Acquisition, Bonnie Beard, Human Resources and Organizational Development, LUKOIL International Upstream West Inc., Genaro Pena, Partner, Lincoln Leadership Advisors. The panel was moderated by Katerina Trofimova, Young Professionals Committee Chair, USRCC/Sr. Account Representative, Business Development KBRwyle.
 

Thoughts from the Moderator, Katerina Trofimova, Young Professionals Committee Chair, USRCC/Sr. Account Representative, Business Development KBRwyle:

“What a fun and interesting night! I am thankful to the USRCC Young Professionals Committee and staff for putting together such an informative session focusing on resume building, job search and interview preparation. I was honored to serve as a moderator and meet in person our experienced panelists. Bonnie Beared kicked off with tips on how to start job search and suggested several areas one should focus. Genaro Pena spoke about available technology and recommended different job search websites young professionals could use. Anna Bogdanova informed us about different types of resumes and advised what should never be included there. Finally, Bryan Stotler gave some tips on maximizing the value of LinkedIn but highlighted the importance of personal relationships. Everyone left equipped with valuable job search hacks. I believe even the panelists learned something new from each other.”

Testimonial by the Panelist, Genaro Peña, Partner, LINCOLN Leadership Advisors:

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the USRCC leadership for the excellent event last night, and I was honored to be included among such a distinguished group of panelists. I found the USRCC young professionals to be smart and engaging, and I enjoyed speaking with them before and after the event.”

Our special thanks to USRCC Young Professionals Committee members for making this a successful event.

To view the event pictures, visit our FaceBook page

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Young Professionals Speed Mentoring and  Networking

Young Professionals Speed Mentoring and Networking

Young Professionals Speed Mentoring and Networking

The U.S.- Russia Chamber of Commerce (USRCC) hosted a Young Professionals Speed Mentoring and Networking event on October 27, 2016 that drew a crowd of more than 40 young professionals. New connections were made at happy hour held at Tango and Malbec. During speed mentoring sessions attendees had an opportunity to discuss professional strengths and challenges, ask questions, and gain insights from senior business professionals.

Our special thanks to all the mentors:

  • Sharon Barclay, Director, Corporate HR, TMK IPSCO
  • Bruce Falkenstein, Manager – License Management, Compliance and Joint Operations, LUKOIL International Upstream West Inc.
  • Andrew Pidgirsky, Partner, Adams and Reese LLP
  • Dilyara Sydykova, Regional Manager, Europe/Russia/Caspian, Public and Government Affairs, Exxon Mobil Corporation
  • Svetlana Stytsenko, Manager, Strategy & Operations, Deloitte Consulting LLP
  • Ryan Walsh, Special Assistant to the County Judge, Office of County Judge Ed Emmett

To see more event photos visit our Facebook page

Learn more about USRCC Young Professionals Program

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Young Professionals: Career Progression and Networking Session

Young Professionals: Career Progression and Networking Session

Value of MBA or Another Graduate Program in Career Development

On December the 14th, the US-Russia Chamber of Commerce (“USRCC”) hosted its last event of 2017 –  Career Progression Panel and Networking Session. The event was organized by the USRCC Young Professionals Committee and took place at the University of Houston Downtown (“UHD”). The Panel provided attendees with a  unique opportunity   to get insights on the true value of an MBA and other graduate programs  from business professionals and UHD faculty members.
The keynote presentation was made by  Dr. Kevin Barksdale,  Associate Dean of Graduate Studies,  Marilyn Davies College of Business,  University of Houston-Downtown  who imparted his own wisdom on the value of an MBA and discussed the MBA program currently available at the UHD.
 
Panel speakers included Michale Frogge, Director, Deal Advisory, KPMG, Esteban Montero, System Engineer, Chevron and Pierre Jean Daniel, CEO, Antaeus Technology. The panel was moderated by Ilya Aranovich, Global Licensing Manager, GTC Technologies, USRCC Young Professionals Committee Chair. 
 
During the comprehensive discussion panelists provided the audience with their opinions about how much graduate programs are really worth in today’s business market and if they truly enhance careers and create job opportunities.
 
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Thoughts from the Moderator, Ilya L. Aranovich, Young Professionals Committee Chair, USRCC/Global Licensing Manager, GTC Technology:
 
“What a fun and inspirational night! I am thankful to the USRCC Young Professionals Committee and  staff for putting together such an informative session focusing on challenging yourself to learn new skills, stepping out of the comfort zone to make new acquaintances that will influence your career on and off the playing field; finding the inspiration to expect more of yourself. 
 
Dr. Barksdale, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at UHD, keynote speaker opened with the presentation on the UHD MBA program that has been rapidly growing in the last years with testimonials from 2 graduate students Artem Malinin and Svetlana Bondareva. The keynote was followed by the panel session which I was honored to serve as a moderator and meet in person our experienced  panelists. Pierre Jean Daniel, CEO of Antaeus Technologies kicked off with insights on how his deep technical knowledge gained through 2 Msc from University of Bretagne and ESIEE-Paris helped him develop and deliver innovative products and helped connecting with the real problems of his global clientele. Esteban Montero, Systems Engineer at Chevron spoke about challenging yourself to overcome the fears of progress and take more responsibility based on his own experience of leading several start-up companies. Having completed the MIT MSc program he shared his experience on doing pioneer work with his colleague Alexei Maslovfor the Chevron Artificial Intelligence program to improve business decision making. Michael Frogge, Director, Deal Advisory at KPMG gave insights to value of certification vs full MBA program and explained how his MBA from Rice University helped him be a successful angel investor in several Irish bars in the Houston area, in the free time from supporting key accounts in the Oil and Gas industry at KPMG.
 
Everyone left equipped  with valuable idea’s on how to approach career progression via an advanced degree. “
 
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Testimonial by Dr. Kevin Barksdale, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Marilyn Davies College of Business, University of Houston-Downtown
 
” I really enjoyed the panel discussions and the seamless integration of UHD and the  USRCC  for serving the community and supporting professional career development and  progression. We also captured two Russian students’ success stories that I personally find very inspiring and motivating, a great event to culminate a very successful year for UHD and the USRCC 
 
Our special thank to the USRCC Young Professionals Committee for making this event a success.
 
For event pictures visit our Facebook Page

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