In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Matt Dahan, a petroleum engineer and global energy executive whose career has spanned Mobil, Saudi Aramco, Delta Hydrocarbons, and Denbury, where he served as Senior Vice President of Business Development, Technology, and Government Affairs before retiring in 2024. A New Jersey native and Colorado School of Mines graduate, Matt began his career in California before taking on increasingly complex international assignments in Venezuela, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. His experience leading the Qatif and Abu Safa developments for Saudi Aramco and his later work in CO2 enhanced oil recovery at Denbury have given him a rare vantage point on both the technical and strategic dimensions of the industry.

The conversation explores the responsibilities of managing one's own career, with Matt offering candid advice for young professionals on mastering their craft, understanding how their role fits into the broader business, and earning leadership before receiving the title. He reflects on the rewards and challenges of international work, including the lean staffing that thrusts greater responsibility on expatriates and the cultural pitfalls that derail some assignments. The discussion also examines the discipline of acquisitions, where overpaying and glossing over production forecasts are frequent culprits behind failed deals, and the critical role of culture in whether a merger ultimately delivers value. Matt shares his framework for thinking about core work in upstream oil and gas, arguing that reservoir management and development strategy must remain in-house, while offering a nuanced view on operations and IT as areas where outsourcing can make sense depending on complexity and risk.

Listen to the full conversation for a thoughtful look at international leadership, mergers and acquisitions, enhanced oil recovery, and the future of an industry that still has enormous resources left to develop.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Alex Archila, a seasoned executive with over 43 years of experience in the natural resources industry, whose career has spanned Texaco, Chevron, BHP, and leadership roles across the Americas, Europe, and Africa. A chemical engineer by training who began his career on drilling rigs in Guatemala, Alex rose to become President of North American Shale at BHP, led Chevron's operations in Canada and Colombia, and served as CEO of Madagascar Oil. Now retired and splitting his time between the US and Spain, he brings a uniquely global perspective on leadership, cultural adaptability, and the enduring fundamentals of the energy business.

The conversation explores Alex's journey from scholarship recipient at Texaco to senior executive, offering candid reflections on the importance of mastering technical fundamentals, understanding the business side of engineering, and building a network across disciplines early in one's career. He shares hard-won advice on navigating corporate politics without losing one's identity, the value of cross-cultural leadership in countries as varied as Angola, the UK, Spain, and the Middle East, and the critical need for young engineers to develop resilience and a willingness to take on uncomfortable assignments. Alex also reflects on BHP's entry into shale, the misconceptions that led to overpaying for assets, and what he would have done differently—including a slower pace of development, better integration of acquired teams, and the strategic use of hedging to protect returns.

Listen to the full conversation for a masterclass in leadership, career development, and the human side of energy from one of the industry's most thoughtful and globally experienced executives.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Dave McKay, a veteran upstream leader whose career spans Mobil, Aera Energy, and Hess, where he played a pivotal role in developing some of the industry's most significant unconventional projects. A mechanical engineer by training from the University of Colorado, Dave started his career as an operations engineer in Guymon, Oklahoma, before moving through operations management roles in California and eventually leading Aera's development of the Diatomite Formation, one of the earliest unconventional plays. He later took on the challenge of starting up and managing Hess's Bakken Shale project in North Dakota, serving as vice president of production until his retirement in 2018.

The conversation explores the evolution of unconventional development, where Dave reflects on the tension between manufacturing efficiency and continuous technical improvement. He shares candid insights on the challenges of adapting offshore expertise to onshore shale, the importance of balancing standardization with learning from each completion, and the critical role of operational reliability in maximizing value. Dave also offers a thoughtful perspective on core work in upstream oil and gas, arguing that reservoir knowledge and execution excellence must remain insourced to maintain competitive advantage. He discusses the complexities of contractor alignment, the importance of respect for people in driving quality and safety, and the promise of operations science and project production management in transforming how capital projects are executed.

Listen to the full conversation for a masterclass in leadership, operational discipline, and the enduring principles that separate great upstream organizations from the rest.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Arun Mitra, a seasoned financial executive who recently served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Weatherford International, one of the world's largest oilfield service companies. With over thirty years of global experience across the energy and industrial sectors, including senior roles at Mitsubishi Power Americas and Siemens, Mitra brings a unique perspective at the intersection of finance, technology, and infrastructure. A CFA, CPA, and ACA with a background in international business from the Wharton School, he has spent his career navigating complex capital allocation decisions, restructuring distressed businesses, and understanding what truly drives value in capital-intensive industries.

The conversation explores the core work of oilfield service companies, where Mitra argues that competitive advantage ultimately rests on technology and people. He reflects on Weatherford's remarkable journey through acquisitions and bankruptcy, noting how the company's deep customer relationships and niche technological strengths in areas like managed pressure drilling and artificial lift helped it emerge as a formidable competitor to the industry's largest players. The discussion also turns to the power generation landscape, where Mitra offers a compelling analysis of the AI-driven surge in electricity demand. He explains the bottlenecks facing data centers, including multi-year interconnection queues and supply chain constraints on turbines and generators, and describes how behind-the-meter solutions like aeroderivatives, reciprocating engines, and fuel cells are rapidly gaining traction. He also shares insights from his work on the world's largest green hydrogen project, framing hydrogen not as a fuel but as a form of long-duration energy storage that can help balance intermittent renewables.

Listen to the full conversation for a masterclass in energy finance, infrastructure dynamics, and the forces reshaping both oilfield services and power generation in the age of AI.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Walter van de Vijver, a true legend of the oil and gas industry with over forty-five years of experience across Shell, private equity, and global energy leadership. A civil engineer by training from Delft University, Walter's career took him from early assignments in Bakersfield and Oman to the top E&P role at Shell, followed by successful ventures in the private equity world with Delta Hydrocarbons and leadership roles at Reliance Industries. Now a partner at Forager Energy, a Houston-based royalty and mineral rights company, Walter brings a wealth of perspective shaped by decades of international experience and a passion for creating value that has never dimmed.

The conversation ranges across Walter's remarkable career journey, from the autonomy he enjoyed as a young engineer in California to the lessons learned navigating the complexities of Shell's global culture and the very different, trust-based environment at Reliance. He reflects on the pressures of entrepreneurship versus corporate leadership, the importance of taking ownership and sticking your neck out, and the value of transferring learnings across geographies and disciplines. The discussion also tackles the industry's biggest challenges, including the strategic missteps of European majors in the energy transition, the importance of effective communication about oil and gas's essential role, and the potential for AI and data management to drive the next wave of innovation. Walter's optimism about the industry's future is unmistakable, rooted in the conviction that oil and gas will remain indispensable for decades to come.

Listen to the full conversation for a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and strategic thinking from one of the industry's most respected and thoughtful executives.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with David Purvis, a veteran leader with over three decades of experience across Shell and BHP Petroleum. A chemical engineer by training who discovered his passion for reservoir engineering through a serendipitous internship in New Orleans, Purvis went on to hold technical and leadership roles spanning the Gulf of Mexico, international assignments in Brunei, and ultimately the position of Vice President of Engineering and Operations at BHP. Now retired from the corporate world, he coaches business owners through The Alternative Board, teaches petroleum engineering at Mississippi State, and is the bestselling author of Climbing Your Career Tree: Life Lessons to Grow the Leader Within You.

The conversation ranges across the evolving nature of technical work, the importance of building deep functional expertise before seeking broader leadership roles, and the enduring value of human judgment in an era of rapid technological change. Purvis reflects on the critical role of subsurface characterization as the foundation of upstream value creation, the distinction between protecting and creating value through operational excellence, and the importance of scenario planning in navigating geopolitical and market uncertainty. He also offers a grounded perspective on AI, distinguishing between its utility as a productivity tool for engineers and the need for human oversight in higher-stakes decisions. The discussion touches on emerging technologies like geothermal, the shifting landscape of innovation from major labs to mid-size operators and service companies, and practical advice for young professionals entering the industry today.

Listen to the full conversation for an insightful look at career development, leadership, and the future of energy from a leader who has spent a lifetime learning, teaching, and coaching others to grow.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Dennis Creech, a seasoned executive with over thirty-eight years of experience in upstream oil and gas, including leadership roles at Shell, Aera Energy, and Hess. Creech's career has taken him across the globe, from North America to West Africa, giving him a uniquely broad perspective on global supply chain management, contractor relations, and Lean business improvement. Now serving as the president and CEO of Modumetal, a metals manufacturing startup, he brings a wealth of practical insight into how operational rigor, financial discipline, and cross-cultural leadership intersect in one of the world's most complex industries.

The conversation ranges widely across the strategic and operational challenges facing energy leaders today. Creech challenges conventional procurement thinking, arguing that true cost efficiency comes from rethinking the quantity of work rather than simply negotiating lower prices. He shares powerful stories from the field, including a lesson on aligning contractor objectives that reveals how executive assumptions can disconnect from frontline reality. The discussion also explores the evolving role of AI and robotics in upstream operations, the importance of resilient and nearshored supply chains in a geopolitically uncertain world, and how leaders must cultivate both technical expertise and emotional intelligence to drive organizational performance.

Listen to the full conversation for a thoughtful and practical look at leadership, operational excellence, and the future of energy from an executive who has spent nearly four decades navigating the industry's toughest challenges.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with Greg Hill, former President and Chief Operating Officer of Hess Corporation, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, global energy, operational excellence, and the future of oil and gas.

Greg reflects on his Wyoming roots, the leadership lessons he carried from rodeo culture into the boardroom, and the importance of humility, resilience, trust, and servant leadership. He also shares perspective from a career spanning more than 40 years and 56 countries, including lessons learned from leading across cultures, building high-performance teams, and creating long-term supplier partnerships rooted in trust rather than price alone.

The conversation also dives into lean manufacturing in oil and gas, the role of reliability and waste reduction in operational performance, America’s strategic energy advantage, LNG, AI, material science, fusion, and why Greg believes the industry may be entering a new exploration renaissance.

This is a thoughtful and candid conversation with one of the industry’s most experienced leaders on what it takes to lead well, innovate responsibly, and keep oil and gas competitive in a changing world.

In Episode 5 of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with longtime drilling and completions executive David Bert for a wide-ranging conversation on offshore operations, shale development, LNG, leadership, and the future of oil & gas.

Dave reflects on his career journey from Mobil and Amoco to BP, Chesapeake, and Southwestern Energy, sharing stories from the North Sea, Thunder Horse, Haynesville, and some of the industry’s most technically challenging drilling environments. The conversation explores lessons learned from Deepwater Horizon, leadership in high-pressure operations, and why collaboration and communication matter more than ever in modern energy development.

Jon and Dave also dive into the technologies shaping the future of drilling and completions, including AI, real-time operations centers, rotary steerable systems, managed pressure drilling, and the growing role of automation in engineering workflows. They discuss LNG demand growth, AI data centers competing for natural gas feedstock, the long-term outlook for Haynesville gas, and what the future may hold for the next generation of oil & gas professionals.

Along the way, the episode mixes technical insight with stories from the field, practical jokes from the early Mobil days, thoughts on LANDMAN and Deepwater Horizon, and candid perspectives on what truly creates value inside an upstream organization.

In this episode of Uncapped with Executive Roustabouts, Jon Krome sits down with longtime technology and energy executive Gary Birdwell for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, innovation, and the future of oil and gas.

Gary shares his journey from treasury and finance into technology leadership roles at Baker Hughes, Oracle, Noble Energy, and Chevron, offering a unique perspective on how business, operations, and technology intersect across the energy industry.

Together, Jon and Gary explore how oil and gas has quietly remained one of the world’s most technologically advanced industries, from early geoscience computing to today’s rapid acceleration of AI and automation. They discuss where AI can create the most value, why operational systems matter more than back-office efficiency alone, and how companies should think about innovation, safety, and competitive advantage in a carbon-conscious world.

The conversation also dives into leadership, career development, technology adoption cycles, and the importance of combining technical expertise with business understanding to build lasting impact in the industry.

Whether you work in energy, technology, or operations, this episode offers an insightful look at where the industry is headed and the mindset needed to navigate what comes next.