Susan Howes, PE, PHR, is Vice President of Engineering at Subsurface Consultants & Associates, LLC, where she is responsible for recruitment, consultancy and training services. Howes began her career with Anadarko, and in 2007, she joined Chevron. Howes has coauthored articles on uncertainty management, risk management, and talent management. She is a recipient of the SPE DeGolyer Distinguished Service Medal and is an SPE Distinguished Member. Howes holds a BS degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas.

Mark Fleming is a Director with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, an investment banking firm headquartered in Atlanta. Mark holds a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from Mississippi State University and a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Texas.

Mark has held various petroleum engineering positions with Chevron, EOG and Hess, has over 25 years’ experience in the business and is a 30 year member of SPE. Mark most recently served SPE as a Director for the Gulf Coast Section.

Rick Walker has over ten years of experience as a senior consultant in DHR’s Energy Sector, Financial Services, CFO and Board of Director Practices. Prior to joining DHR, Mr. Walker spent 24 years working primarily for JP Morgan as a Managing Director in the firm’s Global Natural Resources Group, as well as managing an energy banking team in London for Bank of America predecessor for three years. Mr. Walker received his BBA from Loyola University, New Orleans and his MBA from Bowling Green University.

Dr. Amy J. Cairns is a Chemist working for the US subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, Aramco Services Company (ASC) at the Houston Research Center. She joined the Production Technology Team in February 2014. Her research primarily focuses on production enhancement and stimulation of carbonate reservoirs. Prior to joining ASC, Dr. Cairns worked at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) for three years as a post-doctoral fellow in the Functional Materials Design, Discovery and Development Group within the Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials Center. She holds a BSc (honors) in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of South Florida located in Tampa, Florida. She has published more than 30 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has several patents filed. She is a technical reviewer for SPE Drilling & Completion and the ACS journal, Crystal Growth and Design. She is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and the American Chemical Society (ACS).

Dr. Amelia H. C. Hart is a Materials Scientist in the Drilling Technologies Team at the Aramco Research Center in Houston. Her primary research focus is on the synthesis of novel nanomaterials and their use in oil-well cement and drilling fluids. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Henderson State University, a Master’s Degree in Physics from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and has recently graduated from Rice University with her PhD in Materials Science and Nano Engineering. During her time in Dr. Ajayan’s group at Rice University as a NASA Harriet G. Jenkins Pre-doctoral Fellow, Amelia worked with researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, OH) to develop new materials for ultra-high-temperature jet engines.