Veriten Continues Expansion with New Strategic Advisory Board

HOUSTON, August 1, 2022 - Veriten, an innovative knowledge platform focused on the energy, technology, and environmental future, today announced the addition of five distinguished energy industry leaders as senior advisors to the firm. This prestigious group of strategy, operations and policy experts will form a new Strategic Advisory Board to enhance Veriten’s content and expand the platform, augment the firm’s strategic thinking, and serve as an expert resource for exploring the vast array of issues and opportunities presented by the ongoing energy transition.

The formation of the Strategic Advisory Board follows the recent addition of Brett Rampal as Director, Nuclear and Power Strategy, which expanded Veriten's capabilities in nuclear research.

“Our team is excited and honored that Greg Armstrong, Leslie Beyer, Naomi Boness, Bill Flores and Arjun Murti are joining Veriten as Senior Advisors,” said Maynard Holt, Veriten’s Founder and CEO. “Each of these leaders has been actively engaged with Veriten since our firm’s inception, providing expertise and guidance to help build our knowledge platform; we are pleased to formalize their role by forming our Strategic Advisory Board. With so many changes happening every day in energy and our world more broadly, having this amazing group to regularly consult with is going to make us even stronger as we frame the future of energy.”

“The addition of Greg, Leslie, Naomi, Bill and Arjun is a leap forward for us in terms of our ability to reach the world’s decision makers, make energy policy recommendations, explore the complicated energy landscape, and expand the platform” added Jeff Tillery, Veriten’s COO. “Our team is delighted to formally welcome them and continue benefiting from their knowledge, networks, and curiosity.”

Veriten’s New Strategic Advisory Board

Greg Armstrong
Greg Armstrong is the co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., one of the largest crude oil midstream companies in North America. He currently serves as a director of Plains; NOV, Inc.; and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System and also serves as a member of the Baker Institute Board of Advisors at Rice University. He is a member of the adjunct faculty for the University of Oklahoma’s Executive MBA in Energy program; the Advisory Board of the Cox School’s Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University; and the National Petroleum Council, where he served as Chairman from 2017 to 2019. He previously served as a director in the Federal Reserve System for eleven years, retiring as Chair of The Dallas Fed in 2021. Mr. Armstrong was recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus of Southeastern Oklahoma State University in 2011 and was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2015.

Leslie Beyer
Leslie Beyer is CEO of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council in Houston, Texas, the largest energy technology and services association representing 600,000 workers and more than 400 companies. Ms. Beyer is a leading industry advocate in a variety of areas including global energy market, energy workforce impacts, supply chain, regulatory environment, energy expansion, ESG best practices and DEI in the energy sector. Highlights of Ms. Beyer’s career include 15 years in Washington, D.C. serving in policy and public affairs roles in the U.S. Senate, multiple presidential campaigns, The White House Executive Office of the President, U.S. State Department and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. After government service, Ms. Beyer began a career in advocacy as Director, Member and Board Relations with the National Association of Manufacturers, collaborating with member companies on targeted priority legislative issues and lobbying efforts, primarily in the energy industry.

She is an Independent Director on the Board of Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. serving as Compensation Committee Chair, and the Audit and ESG Committees. She also serves on the Advisory Board of UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Energy Center and Editorial Advisory Board of World Oil. Leslie was named to Hart Energy’s Top 25 Women in Energy in 2021, Energy Transition Economist 100 Women of the Energy Transition in 2021, and Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs in 2022.

Naomi Boness
Dr. Naomi Boness (PhD) is the Managing Director of the Natural Gas Initiative (NGI) at Stanford University and Co-Managing Director of the Stanford Hydrogen Initiative. She is an experienced practitioner in the energy sector with a focus on using her background in reservoir geophysics and technoeconomic modeling to develop technology solutions related to natural gas, hydrogen, and decarbonization in both the developed and the developing world. In addition to managing the research portfolio, Dr. Boness teaches classes in earth science and energy engineering, most recently designing a graduate class on the Hydrogen Economy.

Prior to Stanford, she held a variety of technical and management positions at Chevron. Dr. Boness is also a Director at Aemetis, a renewable fuels company, a member of the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition Advisory Committee, and an advisor to a number of energy startups. As an advocate for women and gender equality, she is a member of the organizing committee for the Women in Clean Energy, Education and Empowerment (C3E) Initiative.

Dr. Boness holds a Ph.D. in geophysics from Stanford University, a M.Sc. in geological sciences from Indiana University and a B.Sc. in geophysics from the University of Leeds.

Bill Flores
Bill Flores is an entrepreneur, business leader, and public policy leader. He most recently served as the U.S. Representative for the 17th Congressional District of Texas from 2011 through 2021. Mr. Flores has also served in board governance and senior leadership positions for numerous public and private entities. His work has emphasized job creation and retention while generating significant value for investors, including public company shareholders, private-equity investors, public sector pensions, and retirement funds.

During his service as Representative for the 17th Congressional District of Texas during the 112th through 116th Congresses (2011 through 2021), Mr. Flores served on the following committees – House Energy & Commerce Committee, House Budget Committee, House Natural Resources Committee, and House Veterans Affairs Committee. His work on behalf of constituents and organizations, particularly those related to Veterans and job creators, resulted in numerous recognitions for public service.

Following retirement from Congress to focus on family and private sector governance positions, Mr. Flores has again become active in service on corporate and non-profit boards including his appointment as Vice-Chair and independent board member of the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).

Arjun Murti
Arjun Murti brings a deep knowledge and experience base with over 30 years as an equity research analyst with global experience covering oil & gas E&P, midstream, and refining along with clean & new energy technologies, geopolitics, and energy & climate policy. He is a director of ConocoPhillips, a senior advisor to the energy group at Warburg Pincus, and an advisory board member for Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. Previously, Mr. Murti was a partner, co-director of Americas equity research, and equity research analyst at Goldman Sachs until his retirement in 2014. Prior to joining Goldman in 1999, he was a buy-side equity research analyst at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. His career began in the early 1990s at Petrie Parkman & Co, a Denver-based oil and gas boutique investment bank.

Mr. Murti is also publisher of Super-Spiked on Substack, sits on the international think tank for the Minister of Petroleum of India, and is a member of the India Advisory Board at The Nature Conservancy.