6-9pm
35th anniversary gala reception and dinner at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (La Jolla)
08:30 am
Women in Energy Networking Breakfast
10:00 am
Opening Remarks
Big Debates

 

10:30 am
Crisis and Chaos in 2026: Disruption and Volatility

Accelerating a Structural Market Change for Energy Sources and Supply Chains

Panel Poll/Q&A

David G. Victor, Distinguished Professor of Innovation and Public Policy, School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego

Ricardo Zibas, Regional Lead, Corporate Sustainability and Climate Change, ERM

Bob Fryklund, Vice President, Chief Upstream Strategist, S&P Global Energy

Carla Lacerda, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

11:30 am
The New Geopolitics of Energy & Trade: Security, Tariffs, and the China Question

Hard Power vs. Soft Power and the Role of the Middle Powers

Panel Poll/Q&A

Thomas Shannon, Senior International Policy Advisor, Arnold & Porter

Jimena Blanco, Chief Analyst, Geopolitics & Latin America, Verisk Maplecroft

Damian Martinez, Managing Director, FTI Consulting

Thiago de Aragão, China-Latin America Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas

Francisco Salazar, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas
(moderator)

12:30 pm
Lunch on the Institute of the Americas Plaza
Spotlight Sessions
1:45 PM
The New Energy Map of the Americas: From Energy Security to Resilience and Competitiveness
Panel Poll/Q&A

Rocio La Torre, JV Asset Manager & Country Chair Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Hispanic Caribbean and Central America, Shell

Guido Maiulini, Head of Strategic Advisory, OLACDE

Cecilia De La Macorra, Senior Director, International Government Relations, Exxon Mobil Corporation

Felipe Bayon, CEO, GeoPark

Trinidad Castro, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Carla Lacerda, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

2:45pm
Critical Minerals, Processing, and Industrial Strategy: Building a Competitive Circular Economy
Panel Poll/Q&A

Jose de Castro, Chief Operating Officer, Integra Lithium

Duncan Wood, CEO, Hurst International Consulting

Carlos Fonseca, General Manager, Latin America Mining Technology Services, Komatsu

Chris Nyce, Director, Economic Competitiveness Program, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Mateus Zanini Pires, Master of International Affairs candidate at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy (moderators)

3:45pm
Coffee Break
4:15pm
Powering the AI Economy: Data Centers, Grids, Water, Reliability and Affordability

How to Manage Asymmetrical Timelines and Social License

Panel Poll/Q&A

John Beckham, Managing Director, North American Development Bank (NADBank)

Andrew Coleman,Senior Manager, US Accounts, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Ivette Catalan, Partner, ERM

Jeremy Erndt, Senior Managing Director, Ankura

Andres Chambouleyron,, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Leonardo Beltran, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Special Anniversary Session
5:15pm
35 Years in a Flash – Reflections from Policymakers and Investors
Panel Poll/Q&A

Marcelo Tokman, Chairman, Cox Chile, and former Energy Minister of Chile & former Director of ENAP Chile

Pedro Sanchez, Consultant, World Bank and former Energy & Mines Minister of Peru

Armando Zamora, Deputy Director, New Producers for Sustainable Energy and former President of ANH Colombia

Veronica Irastorza, Senior Managing Director, FTI Consulting and former Deputy Secretary of Energy of Mexico

Chris Sladen, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Jeremy Martin, Vice President, Energy, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

6:15pm
Cocktail Reception on the IOA Plaza
7:30pm
Nightcap Roundtable
  • US Mid-Term Elections Three Weeks Out: Implications for the Region 

Thad Kousser,
Professor of Political Science,
UC San Diego

Country and Regional Deep Dives
9:00am
Venezuela’s New Reality: Financing Recovery From Upstream Oil & Gas to Pipelines to Electric Grids
Panel Poll/Q&A

Francisco Monaldi, Director of the Latin America Energy Program, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy

Barbara Blakely, Regional Head, Corporate Relations, Latin America and the Caribbean, Shell

Angel Cardenas, Infrastructure Manager, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

David Voght, Managing Director, IPD Latin America

Juancho Eekhout,IOA Energy Steering Committee Member (moderator)

10:15am
Caribbean Basin Energy Powerhouse
Panel Poll/Q&A

Kevin Ramnarine, Former Minister of Energy of Trinidad & Tobago

James Gardiner, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs, Excelerate Energy

Craig A. Kelly, Senior Director, International Government Relations, Exxon Mobil Corporation

Dax Driver, Founder Caribbeanenergy.net (moderator)

11:15am
Coffee Break
11:45am
Colombia: Navigating Political Change and Energy Opportunity
Panel Poll/Q&A

Ernesto Forero, President, National
Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) Colombia (invited)

Jose Vicente Zapata, Partner,
Holland & Knight (moderator)

Future Energy Leaders
12:30pm
La Jolla’s Got Talent: How do graduate students view the energy sector over the next 5-10 years?

Di (Deborah) Zhao, Master of Public Policy candidate at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy

Amanda Nogueira Moreira de Souza, Master of International Affairs candidate at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy

Priyanka Pandey, Master of Public Policy candidate at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy

Mateus Zanini Pires, Master of Public Policy candidate at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy

Cecilia Aguillon, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Jeremy Martin, Vice President, Energy, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

1:00pm
Lunch
Country and Regional Deep Dives
2:15pm
Brazil 2026 Elections and Energy
Panel Poll/Q&A

Pietro Mendes, Director, National Petroleum Agency (ANP) – Brazil

Roberto Ferreira Da Cunha, CEO, EnClim

Thiago de Aragão, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas

Nelson Narciso, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Amanda Nogueira Moreira de Souza, Master of International Affairs candidate at UC San Diego’s School of Global Policy and Strategy (moderator)

3:15pm
Vaca Muerta to the Region and World: From Rigi to Argentina's LNG Play
Panel Poll/Q&A

Griselda Lambertini, Director, Ente Nacional Regulador del Gas y Electricidad (ENREGE)
– Argentina

Amanda Nelson, Director of Upstream Intelligence International, S&P Global

Dario Febre, Founder, Latam Landing Partners (moderator)

4:15pm
Mexico’s Gas & Power Crossroads
Panel Poll/Q&A

Narcis de Carreras,CEO, Valia Energía

Juancho Eekhout, Vice President of Development, Sempra Infrastructure

Lamberto Camacho Fernández-Guerra, Chief Product Officer, Cox Energy Mexico

Francisco Salazar, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

Leonardo Beltran, Non-Resident Fellow, Institute of the Americas (moderator)

5:15pm
Closing Cocktail Reception