Global energy demand is surging, driven by both modernizing economies to overcome energy poverty and the exponential rise of AI, with its vast data center power needs. For industry leaders, the question is no longer if the shale revolution continues, but how will it adapt, scale, and thrive to meet the demands of a rapidly shifting marketplace. In this dynamic opening plenary, industry leaders from technology, operations, and finance will share insights on unlocking new potential, extending reserve life, and delivering lasting value to shareholders and stakeholders alike. This conversation will set the tone for the conference, showing how innovation, collaboration, and bold vision can ensure tight oil and shale gas remain at the forefront of energy security, economic growth, and global progress.

Speaker Bios

Bob Fryklund – Bob is a recognized industry thought leader on all aspects of the Upstream. He advises Boards, CEO’s and management teams on strategic direction. He has been involved in many of the industries pivotal projects – TOR acquisition by Petrobras, a $10 billion arbitration; Oil export approval in the US; and restructuring of several of the industries major operators. He focusses on helping companies understand future trends and how to position themselves in the market. He also provides advice on how to build a better narrative for shareholders. Bob has 40 yrs in the industry and has been a senior executive at ConocoPhillips as well as at S&P Global. He sits on four industry Boards and is chair of the supply and demand committee at the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA). He is a frequent industry executive speaker as well as media source for the major outlets. Bob holds a AB in Geology from Hamilton College and lives in Houston.

Bob Brackett – Bob Brackett is a senior sell-side research analyst at Bernstein (AB/AllianceBernstein), known for his coverage of energy, metals and mining, and the energy transition, after a long career in the oil and gas industry. He combines technical training as a geoscientist with strategy and finance roles at major energy companies and consultancies. Before joining Bernstein, Brackett was Director of E&P Planning and Director of Corporate Strategy at Hess Corporation, focusing on exploration and production and corporate strategy for a major international oil company. He began his career at ExxonMobil, spending about eight years in exploration, business development, development, research, and petrophysics roles, including work at several ExxonMobil upstream units. Brackett earned a PhD in Earth & Planetary Sciences from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was a NASA Space Grant Fellow. He holds an MBA from Rice University, reflecting formal training in business and finance alongside his technical background. He also completed a BS in Geophysics and a BA in Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as field geology studies at Indiana University Bloomington.

Khaled Abdul Monem Al Kindi – Dr. Khaled Abdul Monem Al Kindi has more than 19 years of experience in the energy industry, spanning drilling and upstream operations. He is currently Senior Vice President, Drilling & Wells Services at ADNOC Upstream, where he provides executive leadership and drives strategic investment decisions across ADNOC’s drilling and oilfield services portfolio, focusing on performance uplift and value creation. He is a Board Executive Committee Member of ADNOC Drilling and a Board Member of several ADNOC joint ventures and international M&A investment platforms. Previously, Dr. Al Kindi served as Senior Vice President, Upper Zakum Offshore, overseeing the safe and sustainable operation of the world’s second-largest offshore oil field. By leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced technologies strengthened ADNOC Offshore’s position as a global leader in low carbon intensity production. Prior to this, he was Senior Vice President, Drilling at ADNOC Onshore, where he led drilling operations across onshore fields and delivered significant efficiency gains through innovation and technology adoption. In 2024, he was appointed Technical Chair of ADIPEC, the world’s largest energy conference, and he is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Middle East. He holds a Doctorate from UAE University, a Master’s degree from Zayed University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Petroleum Institute, UAE.

Birlie Bourgeois – Birlie has 25 years experience in the oil and gas industry. Since joining Chevron in 2001, he has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility globally in the areas of asset development, operations, strategy, planning, business development, technology deployment, corporate affairs and people management. Birlie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from LSU and is a licensed professional engineer in petroleum engineering in the state of Louisiana (Inactive – #32123). He serves on the Industry Advisory Committee to the Department of Petroleum Engineering at LSU. He is married with four daughters.

Ali Sloan – Ali Sloan is an experienced geoscientist with a passion for collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams to drive value across the oil and gas industry. She specializes in unconventional drilling operations, field development, seismic interpretation, and 3D earth modeling. Ali began her career with Marathon Oil as an operations and development geologist in the Williston Basin. She then joined Parsley Energy in Austin, TX, where she focused on operations and development geology in the Delaware and Midland Basins and helped build 3D earth models in the Delaware Basin. Following Parsley, Ali worked at Centennial Resource Development in Denver, CO, overseeing development geology across Texas and supporting operations in New Mexico. After the merger of Centennial and Colgate to form Permian Resources, she served as Senior Development Geologist and later as General Manager of Core Geologic, assisting clients with operations and development geology needs. Ali now leads her own consulting company, Four J Resources, LLC. In addition to her consulting work, Ali is actively involved in the geoscience community. She serves as AAPG Technical Chair-Elect for URTeC, President-Elect of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists, and previously co-chaired the AAPG Women’s Network and served as Treasurer of the AAPG Executive Committee. She is also a past member of the Alumni Board for the College of Wooster. Outside of her professional work, Ali is the varsity volleyball coach at the International School of Denver High School and enjoys running, biking, and skiing. She lives in Denver, CO with her husband, Justin, their two children, Avery and JW, and their dogs, Scout and Blanca.