In the debut episode of the WGLC Podcast Series: Empowered to Lead, Conference Director Rachel McGhie sits down with Lauren Levicki Courville, President of Dress for Success Houston, to explore what empowerment looks like for women navigating economic independence, career growth, and leadership.

Lauren shares the incredible work of DFS Houston—an organisation that has impacted close to 50,000 women and 65,000 children through professional development, mentorship, and community support. From the first suit to sustained career advancement, she paints a vivid picture of how confidence and community are transformative forces.

Tune in for insights on:

• Why empowerment starts with being seen and supported
• How community engagement builds long-term impact
• The shared mission of DFS Houston and WGLC in advancing women’s leadership in energy and beyond

This episode is a reminder that leadership doesn’t start in the boardroom—it starts when a woman realises she deserves a seat at the table.

Learn more and register for WGLC 2025, taking place in Houston on October 28–29, at wglconference.com

Discover the mission of DFS Houston at dfshouston.org

In this episode, Petroleum Economist sister title Hydrocarbon Processing spoke with Nav Sharma, Director of Product Management, Cybersecurity, Honeywell, on safeguarding assets from cyber attacks. This includes behavioural analytics and deception technologies, and what a truly proactive cyber defense system looks like in OT environments to protect vital infrastructure

The energy transition is a false narrative that has caused vast sums of government money to be wasted warns Mark Mills, executive director of the National Center for Energy Analytics. The US energy thinktank leader talks to Paul Hickin, chief economist of Petroleum Economist, about how Jevons paradox is a pivotal energy paradigm and the crucial role of hydrocarbons in meeting electrification needs.

While oil demand is weakening and OPEC+ is bringing back barrels, a lack of non-OPEC supply—especially as US shale sputters—will likely see an oil market revival in 2026, says EnergyRogue.com’s Brian Pieri. Petroleum Economist’s chief economist, Paul Hickin, and Brian also explain why betting against OPEC is a fool’s errand.

Petroleum Economist explored the nexus of supply and demand fundamentals and the power of sentiment with Tamas Varga, a top oil analyst at PVM Oil Associates. With the IEA and OPEC unable to find a consensus on the oil outlook and many moving parts to tariffs, geopolitical risk, OPEC+ barrels and US production, a more nuanced approach to market direction may be required.

Petroleum Economist talked to Dr Ian Palmer, solar space scientist turned oilfield engineer, about his book How Oil and Gas Companies are Pivoting Toward Climate Change, covering carbon capture, net-zero targets, batteries and the future of fossil fuels.

Petroleum Economist sat down with Neil Quilliam to explore how Saudi Arabia is balancing oil market management, growing its gas and LNG sector and developing its renewables strategy. Neil is involved with SRMG Think, Azure Strategy Consulting and Chatham House and explains how the Kingdom’s near and long term energy vision fits with its plans to diversify its economy.

Part 2 of Petroleum Economist’s global refining analysis focuses on the Asia-Pacific region. This episode details major initiatives that are leading to additional capital expenditures for refining capacity additions, including the ability to satisfy domestic fuel demand, higher biofeedstock blending, increasing SAF production, the inclusion of petrochemical units in existing refining infrastructure and the grassroots construction of mega-integrated complexes, and much more.