There are a number of drivers that have led me to energy writings and geopolitics. Given the events of the last days with Russia, and the global anxiety afoot, I thought I’d share, grounding this body of work. This journey is an amalgamation of ideas, winding roads in time, and life experiences.
My interests are a compilation of my experiences and vice versa. While studying at the University of Denver, an insatiable interest in global affairs emerged. It was the height of the Cold War, preceding the fall of the Berlin Wall and the breakup of the U.S.S.R. So I studied Russian and wrote about China becoming more capitalistic or gave speeches about Reagan's "Strategic Defense Initiative" during my business degree coursework. I chose Russian as my language, under Dr. Libor Brom, a Czech. (He was actually the president of the Czechs in-exile.) Over three solid years, daily, I would ask him questions about how he escaped then-Czechoslovakia from the communist invasion of the U.S.S.R. He answered my questions and talked extensively about the KGB, the communist party mindset, the take-down of the professionals’ class, etc.
Then came master's studies about the European Union— its history, economics, integration by necessity and politics —at the London School of Economics, its first-time offering of this coursework. The fall of the Berlin Wall happened while there in November of 1989. Sitting among forty or so Europeans, Brits, a few Americans, and a Greek and Cypriot student, was an immersive experience revealing the importance of history as context. As an American that studied business, I had no sense of history per se. The European students had fluent historical context; they lived it, breathed it, had it in their DNA. I began to understand a glimmer of their perspective and had to quick study the Post-War II order, which includes going back to WWI, and further back.
My space involves the financial aspects and economics of energy resources and markets. It is by no means an exhaustive study. The areas of natural resources, environment and sustainable development are important to me. Global trends crisscross this subject area. I try to ground the work with research-based underpinnings or practical experience.
I’m fortunate that energy producers, financiers and innovators surround me in North Texas. The magazine D CEO has been supportive of these efforts. The many wind, natural gas and oil producers here have influenced my thinking, with my most trusted sources graciously spending countless hours of interview time with me.
In 2008, I had the good fortune to pitch and write one of the early pieces about the Barnett Shale, which was a precursor to the U.S. natural gas revolution. That same year, Far Eastern Economic Review published a piece on China's energy portfolio and green prospects, which was later translated into Chinese. Over the years, "translating" the work of two top finance professors has given me the opportunity to parse oil markets, peak theories and infrastructure development, and inform an outlook.
As natural gas exploration accelerated and changed America's energy perspective, their global implications were of interest, writing a number of pieces for Lloyd's List, one of the oldest running publications around (circa 1734). Back then, India had also been on my radar from travels.
In 2006, I teamed up with Dr. Andrew Chen, distinguished professor of finance at SMU's Cox School of Business, and one of the most prolific finance researchers on the globe. Dr. Chen had an interesting idea about using capital markets for infrastructure development. We collaborated on research papers about India (Journal of Structured Finance), Africa (World Bank essay) and China in The Chinese Economy. In a venture of 2012, infrastructure in China and India was our topic which focused on the energy-water-climate nexus. We merged his capital markets idea and my interest in sustainable development. We had a comeback story just recently in Real Leaders.
At Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations from late 2010-2013, my attention was geared exclusively on geopolitics and global affairs topics, but also focusing on energy and resource topics when possible. It offered exposure to scores of thought leaders and innovative thinking from the most august of experts in their respective fields.
Over the last 20 years, my work with a university and academics has allowed me to translate over 100s of finance and business research papers. It’s like a perpetual Ph.D., but less disciplined, more creative. My work in energy began there. I realized energy was the most global industry sector that existed, with players spanning from the most sophisticated to the true-grit entrepreneurs to the brilliant financial economists. I have had the privilege of interviewing so many.
Much work is yet to be done as the energy world and geopolitics once again spin out in yet-to-be-known directions, an understatement…