Agenda

Agenda will be available soon. Stay tuned!

Registration

Professional Development Units

This event is eligible for  for each day attendance.
To learn more about Professional Development Units (PDU) and the CPDA Certification Program, please visit our Certification Page.

Calendar Invitation

This Calendar invitation is here for download. Please note: the Calendar invitation does not register you to attend.

Contact Us

For more information on registration, sponsorship, speaking opportunities contact Trudy Curtis.

Please note that all PPDM Events may be photographed for PPDM Marketing Materials. If you do not wish your photograph used in PPDM Materials, please contact Trudy Curtis.

Cancellation Policy: Please visit our Terms and Conditions under "PPDM Events" to view our cancellation policy. Please note that PPDM is not responsible for any travel costs related to cancellations. Substitutions may be permitted on a case by case basis.

Health and Safety Information

You also accept on behalf of yourself, your heirs, next of kin, executors, administrators and assigns, you freely accept and fully assume: all risks, dangers and hazards inherent in and/or any way connected with your participation in the Event (or any part thereof). Participation in the Event has risks and hazards including risks associated with COVID-19. As a participant, you may suffer property damage, personal injury, illness, and even death. You freely and voluntarily assume all the risks and hazards of participation in the Event, including any legal risks. This means that you are giving up your right to sue the PPDM Association for any reason, including the PPDM Association’s negligence, if you suffer any damage, injury, illness, loss or death by participating in the Event. If you do not accept these terms, please do not attend the event.

Featured Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Short Biography: Luke serves as an Energy Director of Data and AI at Microsoft, where he leads a team of global “black belt” specialists in helping customers solve their toughest problems with database, analytics, and AI solutions. Luke has experience in various industries, from energy engineering to strategy consulting, and has a passion for digital transformation and innovation. In his spare time, Luke is an active volunteer and supporter of the Special Olympics and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Luke is a frequent speaker and content creator on topics such as Operational Databases, Agentic Architectures, Power BI, and Azure OpenAI.

2-3 things that come to mind when you think about Digital Transformation in the Energy space:

Celebrate Small Victories: Start with achievable goals in your energy transformation journey. You don't need to overhaul everything at once; small, consistent wins will build momentum.

Collaborate Across Teams: Ensure everyone is involved in the transformation process. Avoid the pitfalls of siloed information by fostering open communication and collaboration.

Follow Your Own Roadmap: There is no one-size-fits-all solution for digital transformation. Take each step methodically to ensure sustainable and effective results.

Luke Fangman

Oil, Gas, & Energy | Cloud & AI Managing Director

Microsoft Corporation

Short Biography: Trudy Curtis is the Chief Executive Officer of the PPDM Association, the global Not-For-Profit society focused on building a global community of data professionals, developing best practices and standards for energy data, and on professional development and certification for data professionals. Based in Canada, Curtis has over four decades of years of industry experience and is known around the world for her outspoken advocacy of data standards, data as a strategic asset, and data management.

Trudy Curtis

Chief Executive Officer

PPDM Association - The Global Energy Data Professionals

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Peter Bentley

Chief Operating Officer

Patero Inc.

Short Biography: Reishin Toolsi is a recognized leader in the Energy industry, with regards to Data and AI. He worked for 14 years at SLB across multiple business units, all across the Energy value chain. Currently, he is a Senior Solutions Architect and Energy Subject Matter Expert for Databricks. This position has allowed him to combine his passion for AI with his expertise in the connected energy ecosystem, therefore leading the effort of simplifying the way Databricks clients access and use data.

Reishin Toolsi

Energy SME

Databricks

Speakers

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Malcolm Hawker

Chief Data Officer

Profisee

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Nishanth Raj

Managing Director

Deloitte

Cyber Security

Short Biography: Joe Alapat is a successful entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience managing IT infrastructure for large enterprises, mid-market companies, and small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs) under the care of an IT managed service provider he owned, operated, and sold. Following his exit, he founded Liongard to address the growing IT Service Provider challenge of managing and securing modern IT at scale with strong visibility, automation, and insight. At Liongard, Joe is focused on delivering a truly modern approach to managing and securing modern IT environments. CRN honored Joe as a Channel Chief in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. He graduated with honors from Trinity University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.

Joe Alapat, CISSP - Moderator

Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer

Liongard

Short Biography: Dd Budiharto serves as Customer Security Officer for the Oil, Gas and Energy sector at Microsoft. She is also founder of Cyber Point Advisory, LLC, a fractional CISO firm providing cybersecurity advisory services to small and medium-sized businesses. She partners with executive teams, business stakeholders, and IT leaders to develop strategies and roadmaps that strengthen organizational cybersecurity posture.

With over 30 years as a digital security leader, Dd's expertise in IT and OT security has been instrumental in delivering significantly enhanced information and cybersecurity programs for companies including ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Baker Hughes, Marathon Oil Corporation, and Halliburton. As an industry leader, she has worked closely with the White House on Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity initiatives.

Dd served as chairman of the American Petroleum Institute (API) IT Security Subcommittee and is currently a Governing Member of Gartner and SecureWorld CISO Executive networks.

She is passionate about building ??Cybersecurity Circle ??, an inclusive community for cybersecurity enthusiasts at all levels. Dd serves on the Board of Directors of LINK Houston and remains active as a speaker, moderator, mentor, and advisor for organizations including CYBR.Sec.Con., Exec.Sec.Con., Women Executive Forum, T200, 50/50 Women on Boards, ISSA, Minorities in Cybersecurity, and Cyversity. She has also spoken at numerous universities, including the University of Houston, Baylor University, Houston Christian University, University of St. Thomas, and the Rice University Baker Institute.

Dd is the recipient of the 2024 ORBIE Houston CISO Leadership Award and has been recognized as a nominee for Team8's 2025 Cyber25 Women of Impact, a Cybersecurity DIVA of 2022, and an SC Magazine "2018 Influencer in Cybersecurity.”

Dd Budiharto

Microsoft Customer Security Officer for OGE; CEO & Founder of Cyber Point Advisory, LLC

Microsoft
Cyber Point Advisory, LLC

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Peter Bentley

Chief Operating Officer

Patero Inc

---

Data and AI

Short Biography: Greg Foley has spent 50 years in the workforce (25 years in Australia and 25 years in the US) before retiring in July 2024. Most recently he worked at The FerVID Group which he joined in April 2017 with responsibility for Business Strategy and Development. Previously he had introduced Brisbane based startup, RedEye, to the US market.

With 32 years of market development experience applying technology to solve business problems including 25 years in Oil & Gas, he is very focused on customer satisfaction. Prior to moving to the United States in 1999 and joining Petris Technology where he spent 11 ½ years followed by 4 years at Stonebridge, he was responsible for establishing HAHT Software in South East Asia.

Mr. Foley has also worked in Australia for Fujitsu, Digital Equipment Corporation and ComputerLand. He previously taught for 12 years at St. Aloysius' College in Sydney.

Outside of work, Greg has served on the Board of the Australian American Chamber of Commerce for 21 ½ years, serving 6 as President. He has also served 2 years on the Board of the Woodland Heights Civic Association. Early in 2023, he joined the Houston Leadership Team for PPDM and contributed towards facilitating the 2023 and 2024 Conventions in Houston ands moved up the the position of Chair in 2025. He has been passionate about the importance of data quality to support decision making in all aspects of business, whether technical or corporate. He will continue to serve the PPDM beyond retirement.

Greg Foley - Moderator

Owner

Foley Advisory Services & Training LLC

Short Biography: Luke serves as an Energy Director of Data and AI at Microsoft, where he leads a team of global “black belt” specialists in helping customers solve their toughest problems with database, analytics, and AI solutions. Luke has experience in various industries, from energy engineering to strategy consulting, and has a passion for digital transformation and innovation. In his spare time, Luke is an active volunteer and supporter of the Special Olympics and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Luke is a frequent speaker and content creator on topics such as Operational Databases, Agentic Architectures, Power BI, and Azure OpenAI.

2-3 things that come to mind when you think about Digital Transformation in the Energy space:

Celebrate Small Victories: Start with achievable goals in your energy transformation journey. You don't need to overhaul everything at once; small, consistent wins will build momentum.

Collaborate Across Teams: Ensure everyone is involved in the transformation process. Avoid the pitfalls of siloed information by fostering open communication and collaboration.

Follow Your Own Roadmap: There is no one-size-fits-all solution for digital transformation. Take each step methodically to ensure sustainable and effective results.

Luke Fangman

Oil, Gas, & Energy | Cloud & AI Managing Director

Microsoft Corporation

Short Biography: Dr Prashanth Southekal is a Data, Analytics, and AI Consultant, Author, and Professor. He is the founder of DBP Institute and D2A2. He has consulted over 100 organizations including P&G, GE, Shell, Apple, Whirlpool, and SAP. Dr. Southekal is the author of three books - “Data for Business Performance”, “Analytics Best Practices”, and “Data Quality” and writes regularly on data, analytics, and AI in Forbes, CFO. University, SAP Insider, FP&A Trends and more. His second Book ANALYTICS BEST PRACTICES was ranked #1 analytics books of all time in May 2022 by Book Authority. Apart from his consulting and advisory pursuits, he has trained over 4,500 professionals worldwide in Data, Analytics, and AI. Dr. Southekal is also an Adjunct Professor of Data and Analytics at IE Business School (Madrid, Spain) and CDO Magazine included him in the top 75 global data leaders of 2022. He holds a Ph.D. from ESC Lille (FR), MBA from Kellogg School of Management (US), and ICD.D Designation from Rotman School of Management (CA). He lives between Calgary (CA), and Madrid (ES).

Dr. Prashanth Southekal

Data, Analytics, and AI Consultant, Author, and Professor

DBP Institute and D2A2

Short Biography: Reishin Toolsi is a recognized leader in the Energy industry, with regards to Data and AI. He worked for 14 years at SLB across multiple business units, all across the Energy value chain. Currently, he is a Senior Solutions Architect and Energy Subject Matter Expert for Databricks. This position has allowed him to combine his passion for AI with his expertise in the connected energy ecosystem, therefore leading the effort of simplifying the way Databricks clients access and use data.

Reishin Toolsi

Energy SME

Databricks

---

Regulatory

Short Biography: I have a background in digital data management spanning four decades and multiple certifications in both geosciences and project management. This workshop is based on two major publications, one of which I co-authored, addressing embedded data workflow methodologies and the complexities of institutional governance on open-source data platforms. The techniques discussed have been field validated with multiple operators across the energy and resource sector.

Jess B. Kozman - Moderator

Senior Principal Consultant

Katalyst Data Management

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Panelist Name

Designation

Company Name

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Panelist Name

Designation

Company Name

---

Panel topic to be determined

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Panelist Name

Designation

Company Name

Short Biography: Will be here soon!

Panelist Name

Designation

Company Name

Training Sessions – April 27, 2026

Short Biography: Dr Prashanth Southekal is a Data, Analytics, and AI Consultant, Author, and Professor. He is the founder of DBP Institute and D2A2. He has consulted over 100 organizations including P&G, GE, Shell, Apple, Whirlpool, and SAP. Dr. Southekal is the author of three books - “Data for Business Performance”, “Analytics Best Practices”, and “Data Quality” and writes regularly on data, analytics, and AI in Forbes, CFO. University, SAP Insider, FP&A Trends and more. His second Book ANALYTICS BEST PRACTICES was ranked #1 analytics books of all time in May 2022 by Book Authority. Apart from his consulting and advisory pursuits, he has trained over 4,500 professionals worldwide in Data, Analytics, and AI. Dr. Southekal is also an Adjunct Professor of Data and Analytics at IE Business School (Madrid, Spain) and CDO Magazine included him in the top 75 global data leaders of 2022. He holds a Ph.D. from ESC Lille (FR), MBA from Kellogg School of Management (US), and ICD.D Designation from Rotman School of Management (CA). He lives between Calgary (CA), and Madrid (ES).

Dr Prashanth Southekal

Morning Session

Data Preparation for Analytics & AI in Oil & Gas

Course Details

Afternoon Session

Data to Decisions: Communicating Insights from Analytics and AI for Oil & Gas Professionals

Course Details

Short Biography: Lewis Matthews was born and raised in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. At the age of 17 he emigrated to the USA and enlisted in the United States Navy where he served for 9 years as a Corpsman with Marines. Since then, Lewis has received several degrees including economics, geology, and an MS in geophysics and seismology during which he independently discovered fractal clustering in petrophysical logs. He is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Angel Protection System and Project Geminae. To encourage understanding and broad collaboration across companies, Lewis teaches machine learning applications and advanced data analytics applicable to oil and gas problems. These workshops have proven to be incredibly popular and helpful to enhance the general understanding of the strengths and limits of these incredibly hyped technologies.

Lewis Matthews

Morning Session

Introduction to Causality in Oil and Gas

Course Details

Afternoon Session

AI Models for Decisions

Course Details

Sponsor / Exhibit

Stay & Venue

Houston, Texas

Houston is the undisputed Energy Capital of the World, making it the most critical place to be for a PPDM conference.

Attendees are drawn here because the city offers an unparalleled advantage: it is the global nexus for energy companies, technology innovators, and industry decision-makers. By meeting in Houston, you gain direct access to the highest concentration of corporate headquarters and thought leaders driving the sector's digital and data-driven future. This is where the world's energy transition is being managed, making it the ideal setting for networking, benchmarking best practices, and building essential collaborations. Beyond the conference hall, enjoy Houston’s blend of modern corporate infrastructure, vibrant diversity, and unique attractions like Space Center Houston, a powerful symbol of the city's commitment to large-scale, precision-driven data and technology.

Venue

Norris Conference Center - Houston City Centre

Norris Conference Centers – Houston City Centre, our second Houston location, is located in the prestigious City Centre project at the intersection of IH-10 West and Beltway 8.

For more details, visit the Conference centre website

Address

816 Town & Country Blvd, Suite 210, Houston, Texas 77024.

Accommodation

Book your Room for the "PPDM 2026 Houston Convention".

Transportation & Parking

Self-Parking is available onsite at no cost on levels 3 and 4.

Hotel Options

There are several hotels conveniently located near the venue. The Moran Hotel is directly across the street and accessible via a skywalk. The Westin Hotel is also just a few minutes drive away from the venue. For more information about nearby accommodations, please email us at events@ppdm.org.

International Visitors

For those traveling from outside of the USA, please review the eligibility requirements with the Government of the United States. If you require a letter of introduction to attend, please email events@ppdm.org with your contact information.