Global Perspectives with Gretchen Watkins
When
- Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025
Check-in and reception, 5 p.m. CT
Program and livestream begin at 6 p.m.
Where
- Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch
1801 Allen Parkway
Houston, TX 77019
Apple Maps | Google Maps - The vistor parking lot entrance is located on eastbound Allen Parkway. Pedestrian drop-offs are permitted only in the designated lane adjacent to the visitor lot entrance.
Registration
About Gretchen Watkins
Gretchen Watkins is chair of the Greater Houston Partnership.
She has more than 35 years’ experience as an executive and director, including serving as president and executive vice president of Global Shales at Shell USA. In those roles, she led the company’s U.S. Energy Transition Plan and oversaw a $10 billion Permian portfolio transition. She also spearheaded the deployment of artificial intelligence and digital technologies to optimize shale drilling programs and improve productivity across upstream operations.
Prior to joining Shell, she led Maersk Oil from separation from its parent group through an $8 billion sale to Total Energies. Her operational expertise includes offshore and onshore production, manufacturing and integrated supply chains across Asia, Europe, North America and Africa.
Watkins currently serves as a non-executive director on the board of The Mosaic Company and previously served on the board of WS Atkins Plc. She is a member of the Dallas Fed’s Energy Advisory Council and has held leadership roles on the executive committees of the American Petroleum Institute and U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Watkins received a BS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University, attended executive education courses at Stanford University and Cambridge University and was named Penn State’s Alumni Fellow Award winner in 2023.
About Steve Kean
Steve Kean is president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, which focuses on attracting investment and trade to Houston, building a strong workforce, advocating for sound public policy and convening a diverse set of Houstonians when major issues arise.
Prior to joining the Partnership in 2023, he was chief executive officer of Kinder Morgan, one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in North America.
Kean has worked in the energy industry since 1985 in various commercial, operational and legal positions, primarily in the wholesale energy and energy transportation and storage sectors.
Kean is board chairman at the Saint Constantine School, a classical Christian school in Houston. He also serves on the advisory board of the Collaborative for Children.
Kean holds a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and a law degree from the University of Iowa.