Meet the Participants: Howard Leach, LAC Chairman

In the build up to the EAGE Annual 2019, we are proud to introduce you to a selection of the participants who will be joining us for the 81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition (3-6 June) in London. Howard Leach  of BP is the Local Advisory Committee’s Chairman of this year's Annual. Here he introduces himself and tells us a little about why he is looking forward to the EAGE Annual 2019.

How did you first get involved with EAGE?

After several years working abroad, I moved back to the UK in 2007 and then joined EAGE. I supported the Local Advisory Committee (LAC) for the 2013 London Conference. Since this time, I’ve also had the pleasure of attending EAGE annual conferences in Copenhagen and Paris. 

What is the role of the Local Advisory Committee?

The purpose of the LAC is to support the EAGE shape the content that is most relevant to the opportunities and challenges that face members. The content areas of focus are technical workshops, fieldtrips, the student/young professional programme, Forum panels and the Opening Ceremony. The LAC also supports EAGE with corporate sponsorship. 

As chair, it’s been my privilege to work with a diverse committee from industry and academia. I believe the most important role of the LAC is to incorporate the big questions and issues within the industry as themes for discussion at the conference. Secondly for me it’s all about fostering industry connections and making new ones.

For 2019 the theme of the conference will be “Embracing change – creativity for the future”. This reflects the changes that are occurring in the world and our role as geoscientists and engineers in helping to solve some of the big questions of our time. 

What element are you most excited about for this year’s EAGE Annual Conference?

I’m looking forward to several elements. 

The annual conference always provides an opportunity to meet up with peers and colleagues, and to make new connections in a vibrant and engaging environment. 

The backbone of the Conference has always been the technical programme which always provides a wide range of high-quality technical papers.

I’m excited about the Open Ceremony and three Forums we have planned, where thought leaders will debate the big questions in industry today. As part of the Opening Ceremony, we will be debating the question of ‘What will the oil and gas industry look like in 2030 and beyond?’ This will be followed with three Forums, where we will discuss the energy transition, new technologies including digital, and what does all this change mean for the future role of geoscientists and engineers. I’d really encourage anyone attending the conference to join the Forum sessions – and particularly students and young professionals – it will be great to get you involved in the debate.