1/14/23 - Weekend Listening from Intercontinental Exchange
Our guest this week: Bobby Tudor, CEO of Artemis Energy Partners
This afternoon, the 11-5 Rice Owls men’s basketball team takes on the 9-7 Miners of University of Texas El Paso in a key Conference USA Matchup at the Tudor Fieldhouse of Rice University in Houston. The arena is named for university trustee and alumnus Bobby Tudor and his wife, Phoebe, who spearheaded a $30 million renovation of the arena in 2008.
Back in 1978, many expected Tudor, the two-time All-State mainstay of Pineville High School, in the heart of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, to continue his college hoops career near home at national powerhouse LSU. But Bobby was determined to cut his own path, opting instead for Rice, a school with little prospect for an NCAA championship but a big reputation for academic rigor.
"My parents encouraged me to chase my dreams," Bobby once told a local paper. In his four years at Rice, Tudor racked up 1,018 points over the course of 110 games. His prowess on the court led to a brief pro stint in Europe, but his prowess in the energy industry led him to a 20-year career at Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and leadership of the investment bank Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.
Today, Bobby is leading another team, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI). HETI is focused on ensuring that the fourth largest city in the United States remains the Energy Capital of the World, even amid the transition away from fossil fuels, the commodity that made Bobby Tudor one of the industry’s titans. Success in this endeavor is no slam dunk, but Bobby plays to win.
HETI recently released a report laying out Tudor’s gameplan. “For Houston to be as pivotal for energy transition as Silicon Valley has been for technology,” the report notes, “it likely would benefit from strengthening the end-to-end ecosystem encompassing new technologies, entrepreneurs driving innovative projects, diverse talent, financing across the entire capital stack, and favorable policies and regulations.”
Those are the fundamental building blocks to win the next energy championship. After listening to Bobby on this week’s episode, it’s hard to bet against him, and Houston.
The view from Houston:
Oil Expert Bobby Tudor Has a Fix for Houston’s Future Energy Transition Bobby Tudor, CEO of Artemis Energy Partners CEO and Founder of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., launched the Houston Energy Transition Initiative to pivot Houston’s economy, with its 500 oil and gas companies, into the energy transition capital of the world. While Bobby says fossil fuels will remain central to the region for many years, there’s no time like the present begin the herculean pivot to a zero carbon future. The episode drills into Bobby’s vision, his career, and how Houston and its civic leaders are taking the energy bull by the horns.
If you’re on a smart phone, all of our Inside the ICE House podcast episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts, including the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, and Stitcher, and other audio platforms. Feel free to reach out to me with any feedback about our show, or suggest any guests for future episodes.