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This Energy Explained post represents the research and views of the author(s). It does not necessarily represent the views of the Center on Global Energy Policy. The piece...
Concerns about the affordability of electricity in the US have been rising along with prices. And while the headlines have pointed to AI and data centers as the...
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Please join the Women in Energy initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA for a student roundtable lunch and discussion with Sunaina Ocalan, who will discuss how energy companies approach strategic planning. Given the industry’s inherent uncertainty, we will discuss how energy companies approach developing strategy in an industry that frequently shifts. We will also discuss the jobs available in energy strategy and the skills most sought in these roles.
Biography
Sunaina Pai Ocalan Sunaina Ocalan is the Senior Director of Corporate Strategy and Climate Change for Hess Corporation based in New York. In this role, she works closely with the executive management team, evaluating the opportunities and strategic issues affecting the company’s performance and future direction. In her role leading the climate change strategy, Ms. Ocalan is leading the company’s global efforts to integrate its sustainability objectives with the business strategy, including defining the company’s path to achieve net zero emissions.
As an integral part of this role, Ms. Ocalan is helping develop Hess’ position on voluntary carbon markets, as well as Hess’s decarbonization strategy for the long term. Prior to joining Hess Corporation, she was a consultant in the E&P industry, working with CERA’s consulting group focused on strategy for energy clients. During her consulting career, she has worked worldwide with many of the leading national and international oil companies on a wide variety of strategic projects. Much of her work, particularly with big oil companies, focused on country entry, portfolio strategy, and asset development strategy. Ms. Ocalan started her career with Schlumberger in Houston, TX, working as a wireline design engineer for the flagship MDT and coring tool. Ms. Ocalan has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Rice University.
Registration is required. This roundtable is open only to currently enrolled Columbia University students. To register, you must sign in with your UNI.
This event will be hosted in-person and capacity is limited. We ask that you register only if you can attend this event in its entirety.
For more information about the event, please contact [email protected].
The recent military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores raises several implications for the future of Venezuela and Latin America, geopolitics, and energy markets. Cosponsored by SIPA’s Institute of Global Politics (IGP) and Center for Global Energy Policy (CGEP), along with Columbia’s Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS), this webinar will analyze the circumstances and impact of their capture and extradition to New York to face narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges.
The Columbia Global Energy Summit 2026 is an annual event dedicated to thought-provoking discussions around the critical energy and climate challenges facing the global community.
*Registration is closed for this event. The Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA's Women in Energy initiative, in collaboration with the Columbia Policy Institute, invites...
Event
• International Affairs Building,
Columbia SIPA
Critical minerals were once again near the top of the agenda for G7 leaders as they met in Évian, France, this week, a year after the G7 launched the Critical Minerals Action Plan.
In March 2026, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced it was investigating "structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors" in 16 economies.
The US Export-Import Bank is preparing to close the first funding tranche of Project Vault, a public-private partnership establishing the US Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve.
