The Deciders

Mike Sommers has spent nearly a decade bolstering the American Petroleum Institute’s influence in Washington — regardless of who’s in power. A protégé of Speaker John Boehner, he reveals how principle-based advocacy outlasts political volatility, why API bet millions on Landman before anyone knew it would be a hit, and what he did the Saturday morning the U.S. moved on Venezuela.

Brian Ballard, one of Washington's most successful lobbyists, reveals how his firm navigates the Trump administration by building deep relationships, staying persistent through political volatility, and maintaining credibility above all else.