Four Houston professionals have been named to the Offshore Technology Conference's 2025 Emerging Leaders class.
The group of 10 represents individuals with less than 10 years of experience who have "demonstrated exceptional talent, commitment, and promise as future leaders in the offshore energy sector," according to a release from OTC. They were recognized at the annual conference, which was held May 5-8 at NRG Center.
Each year, Emerging Leaders are selected by the previous year’s group and are members of an OTC sponsoring, endorsing or supporting organization. While a number hail from the Houston area, this year's group is comprised of energy professionals from all over the world.
“This year’s leaders have a clear passion for the industry, are eager to play a role in its future, and serve as inspiration to others through their exemplary commitment to excellence and pursuit of new horizons.” Alex Martinez, chair of the OTC Board, said in a news release.
The 2025 Houston-area Emerging Leaders include:
- Ellen Reat Wersan, an exploration geoscientist at Chevron
- Brooke Polk, vice president-accreditation operations at the International Association of Drilling Contractors
- Zheng Fan, assistant professor in the mechanical engineering technology department at the University of Houston
- Scott Pisarik, lead materials and corrosion engineer at Chevron
Other recipients included:
- Yingda Lu, assistant professor in the petroleum and geosystems engineering department at The University of Texas at Austin
- Olusola Komolafe, project engineer at Geosyntec Consultants Inc.
- Gabriel Correa Perocco, project manager at MODEC do Brasil
- Sridhar Krishnamoorthy, senior research fellow and PhD research scholar at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Chennai India
- Daniel Toerner, technical sales engineer at Bardex Corp.
- Olawale Ajayi, reservoir engineer at NNPC Limited
OTC concluded last week and brought together energy professionals, policymakers and scholars from more than 100 countries while showcasing more than 1,000 companies. Sessions featured prominent energy execs, including Oxy president and CEO Vicki Hollub from Houston and Brazil-based Petrobras' president Magda Chambriard. According to OTC, the event has generated $1.6 billion in income for Houston’s economy since 2010.
"From the latest technology to generation-changing policy discussions, this year’s success reflects the industry’s commitment to shaping the future of energy, advancing innovations and fostering global collaboration," Martinez added in a statement.
OTC 2026 will take place May 4-7, 2026, at NRG Center in Houston.
