The leading resource for diverse talent, careers, and culture celebrates top leaders, teams, and companies powering our world.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 26, 2021
ALLY Energy is proud to announce the 5th Annual GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces winners. Nearly 400 nominations poured in from across the world from oil and gas, power and utilities, wind, solar, climate tech startups, and academia. This year’s winning class includes 47 leaders, 10 exceptional teams, and 8 top companies.
2021 GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces Winners from ALLY on Vimeo.
“The energy workforce of the future is an impressive and accomplished cohort of leaders, teams, and workplaces. GRIT is necessary as the world transitions its energy. GRIT stands for growth, resilience, innovation, and talent and these winners have demonstrated it is who they are,” said Katie Mehnert, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ALLY Energy.
Katie Mehnert, CEO
The awards were hosted in-person and online at the George Theater in Houston. Lisa Trapani Shumate, Associate Vice President and General Manager of Houston Public Media served as emcee. The program included speakers that tackled the growing need for a healthy pipeline of talent and more energy literacy to address the decarbonization of our environment and resilience to climate change.
Shanta Eaden, Chief Operating Officer, also shared the growth roadmap for the ALLY 2.0 platform. “ALLY is the destination online that is accelerating connections, careers and reskilling to drive a more equitable transition,” said Shanta.
Shanta Eaden, COO
This year’s awards went two champions we the energy community lost in the past year.
- Cecilia Rose, CEO and Founder of Next Door Strategies
- Dakota Stormer, Founder and CEO of Footprint App
All winners were selected through a blind application review by external judges. The winners are:
Best Energy Workplaces
- Aera Energy (3-time winner)
- Baker Hughes
- Champion X
- EDP Renewables North America
- IOWN Renewable Energy
- Sunnova Energy (2-time winner)
- TPI Composites
- Wood
Teams
- Asian Pacific American Talent and Mentoring Program, Baker Hughes
- African American Forum Mentoring Circles, Baker Hughes
- Blockchain for Energy
- Carbon Reduction Task Force, EagleClaw Midstream
- Black Employee Success Team, ExxonMobil
- Women’s Network, Marathon Oil
- Women Adding Value Everywhere – Woodcreek, Shell
- Kuumba Network, Worley
- Women of Worley, Worley
Trailblazing Energy Superhero Award
Climate & Sustainability
- Jeanne-Mey Sun, Vice President, Sustainability, NRG Energy
- Joanne Howard, Vice President, ESG and Corporate Communications, Crestwood Equity Partners
- Kate Balart, Supply Development Manager Renewable Natural Gas, Shell
Executives
- Bill Siwek, Chief Executive Officer, TPI Composites
- Hilary Ware, Chief Human Resources Officer, Cheniere Energy
- Linhau Guan, Chief Executive Officer, Surge Energy America
- Rani Puranik, Global Chief Financial Officer and Co-Owner, Worldwide Oilfield Machine
- Tolulope Ewherido, Vice President, Subsurface, ExxonMobil
Ally
- Jamie Welch, Chief Executive Officer, EagleClaw Midstream
- Joel Noyes, Senior Manager, Government and External Affairs, HESS Corporation
- Steve Oprea, Corporate Relations Advisor, Shell
Entrepreneurs
- Candice Michalowicz, Chief Operating Officer, EDP Renewables North America
- Katharine Lee-Avary, Consulting Petroleum Geologist, Avary Geoscience
- Marsha Hendler, Chief Executive Officer, TerraFina Energy
- Rakhi Oli, Owner and Managing Director, Net Zero Consulting
Professionals
- Ahmed Taher, Director, Digital Services, EAG 1Source
- Alexandra Morrison, Principal Product Champion, Haliburton
- Ali Zauner, Manager of Operations, AERA Energy, LLC
- Andrea Lopez Vega, Reservoir Geologist, Total
- Carlo Cortese, Rewiring Change Management Leader, Baker Hughes
- Christine Theodorsen, Project Manager, Equinor
- Ellen Gies, Senior Planning Engineer, Southwestern Energy
- Emma Shewell, Head of Women’s Energy Council, Energy Council
- Heather Mueck, Corporate Accounting, Marathon Oil
- Jacqueline Yaa Opoku Twumasi, Area Services Manager, Halliburton
- Jennifer Erich, Upstream Culture Manager, ExxonMobil
- Jennifer Lee, Senior Director of Strategy, Worley
- Jennifer Serrano Vazquez, Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager, U.S. Silica
- Kelli Prenger, Senior Manager, Biogas Project Integration, BP
- Lame Verre, Head of Strategy, SSE
- Lamonica Spivey, Inclusion, Diversity and Corporate Social Responsibility Director, Technip FMC
- Lauren Gonzalez, King Embayment Flowline and Umbilical Lead, Shell
- Lindsey McCarty, Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Selenite Energy Partners
- Mariela Poleo, Manager and President, Simon Bolivar Foundation, Citgo Petroleum Corporation
- Olga Prieto, Well Engineering Director, Baker Hughes
- Parul Dhall, Director of Low Carbon Technology, NOV
- Paulina Christenson, IT Control Systems Manager, AERA Energy, LLC
- Poojah Shah, Solar and Energy Storage Emerging Markets, Kiewit
- Raquel Clement, Digital Product Line Manager, Chevron
- Rita Esuru Okoroafor, Post-Doctoral Scholar, Stanford University
- Stephanie Nwoko, Lead Reservoir Geologist and GeoModeler, Premier Oilfield
- Tara West, Completions Manager, Marathon Oil
- Thaimar Ramirez, Development Director, Occidental
- Tiffany Titone, Project Engineer, Worley
- Tracey Carlile, Reservoir Manager, AERA Energy, LLC
- Uni Blake, Senior Policy Advisor, American Petroleum Institute
This year’s awards were supported by Aera Energy, Baker Hughes, Champion X, Greentown Labs, the Houston Energy Breakfast, Marathon Oil, NES Fircroft, and NOV.