Build an Agile, Resilient and Connected Workforce
March 23 - 25, 2026
| The Westin Galleria Houston, Texas
Main Conference Day One | Tuesday, March 24 2026
7:00 am - 8:55 am
Registration and Networking
7:55 am - 9:00 am
Welcome From Conference Director, Doug Power
8:00 am - 8:10 am
Chair's Opening Address
8:10 am - 8:40 am
Keynote Panel: Empowering the Energy Workforce Amid Global Disruption
Rajeev Sinha -
Chief IT Enterprise Architect,
Pacific Gas and Electric Co
Joe Carroll - Chief Information Officer & Head of Cybersecurity, Citgo Petroleum Corp
As the energy sector navigates unprecedented volatility, from fluctuating prices and geopolitical tensions to supply chain fragility and evolving workforce expectations, leaders must rethink how technology can empower workers to drive safer, smarter, and more resilient operations. This C-suite panel will explore how strategic foresight, digital transformation, and workforce investment can future-proof operations and unlock new levels of performance.
- Adapting to volatile energy markets: How can companies build agility into their workforce strategies to respond to price swings and demand shifts?
- Securing the supply chain & energy infrastructure: What role does the connected worker play in mitigating risk and enhancing operational continuity?
- Navigating workforce dynamics: How are leadership teams preparing for generational shifts, talent shortages, and the rise of digital fluency?
9:40 am - 10:10 am
Keynote Case Study: Scaling Intelligence: Data Integration, AI Adoption, and Workforce Engagement in Energy Operations
Josh Viets -
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer,
Expand Energy
This session explores the digital transformation journey following a major energy sector merger, focusing on how integrated data architecture, AI-driven decision support, and strategic change management are reshaping operations. From drilling optimization to production forecasting, Josh will share practical insights into deploying agentic AI, overcoming data integration challenges, and driving user adoption across field teams. The session highlights how innovation can be scaled responsibly without losing sight of operational realities or workforce trust.
- Lessons learned from aligning disparate data architectures into a unified platform to enable enterprise-wide analytics
- Using aggregated, unstructured data from multiple sources to support more reliable volume predictions and marketing decisions
- How AI is being used to optimize well design and drilling parameters in real time, reducing engineering time from hours to minutes
- Strategies for overcoming resistance, building familiarity, and embedding new tools into daily workflows
- Insights into how AI applications in drilling are laying the groundwork for broader deployment across the business
10:10 am - 10:40 am
Networking Break
Take control of your experience with three dynamic, concurrent tracks tailored to the most critical aspects of connected worker tech. Build a personalized agenda that aligns with your goals and maximize ROI by attending only the sessions that matter most, ensuring every minute spent drives actionable value.
Breakout Tracks
(A) Asset Intelligence
10:40 am - 11:10 am Case Study: Driving Reliability Through Predictive Maintenance and APM Jonathan Vincent - Regional Maintenance Manager, Omya
Jonathan will share how OMYA scaled predictive maintenance across its global operations, while empowering frontline teams with actionable insights. This session explores how a reliability-centered maintenance strategy, supported by digital tools, helps close the loop from problem identification to maintenance planning, driving smarter decisions and stronger workforce engagement.
- How a startup-style rollout helped overcome pilot purgatory and drive early success
- Using predictive insights and mobility platforms to support frontline decision-making and foster ownership at the plant level
- Adapting predictive tools to aging infrastructure and customizing alerts to real-world asset behavior
- Leveraging the asset management platform to automate analysis and support strategic maintenance decisions
(A) Asset Intelligence
11:10 am - 11:40 am Asset Intelligence for Operational Excellence: Improve Reliability, Reduce Costs and Optimize PerformanceAs industrial operations grow more complex, organizations are turning to Asset Performance Management (APM) to improve reliability, reduce costs, and optimize performance. This session explores how asset intelligence, powered by data analytics, AI, and digital twins, can transform maintenance strategies, enhance safety, and support sustainability goals. Attendees will gain insights into building a unified, data-driven approach to asset management that scales across the enterprise.
- Shift from break-fix models to predictive strategies by applying AI, ML and real-time data
- Simulate asset behavior with digital twins to detect deviations and enable proactive interventions
- Prioritize maintenance investments using asset criticality, risk profiles, and operational context
- Apply diagnostic to prescriptive analytics to uncover trends, optimize decisions, and continuously refine asset strategies
- Connect people, processes, and systems through integrated APM platforms
(A) Asset Intelligence
11:40 am - 12:10 pm Panel Discussion: Smarter Assets, Lower Costs: Unlocking Operational Value Through Intelligent Asset Management Saqib Ghani - Head of Architecture- EA Leader Nuclear Technology and Partnerships, NextEra Energy, Inc.Gary Dunbar - Head of Business Transformation, Signal Energy
As energy and utility organizations strive to improve reliability, reduce costs and enhance workforce productivity, intelligent asset management is becoming a strategic priority. By combining predictive analytics, real-time monitoring and emerging technologies like generative AI, companies are shifting from reactive maintenance to proactive, data-driven operations. This panel brings together industry leaders to explore how digital tools are transforming asset strategies, while addressing challenges like data quality, system integration, and workforce adoption.
- Learn how predictive analytics and sensor data can help identify anomalies before failures occur, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.
- Explore how intelligent forecasting and usage-based insights can optimize spare parts management and reduce excess stock.
- Discover how historical data can be leveraged to generate consistent, accurate workflows that accelerate execution and reduce human error.
- Understand how integrating asset data across platforms and cleansing inputs ensures trustworthy analytics and scalable decision-making.
- Hear how organizations are navigating cultural resistance and aligning teams to support enterprise-wide adoption of smart asset tools, including AI-powered solutions.
Saqib Ghani
Head of Architecture- EA Leader Nuclear Technology and PartnershipsNextEra Energy, Inc.
(B) Digital Work Instructions
10:40 am - 11:10 am Case Study: Digital Work Instructions: Ensuring the Right Actions are Taken at the Right Time, Every TimeManual procedures and paper-based instructions are no longer sufficient for today’s fast-paced industrial environments. This session explores how digital work instructions can transform operations by guiding frontline teams with step-by-step, interactive workflows. Learn how to reduce errors, improve compliance, and preserve institutional knowledge while enabling faster, more consistent execution across plants, field teams, and enterprise systems.
- Guiding operators with dynamic, interactive instructions to minimize mistakes, reduce waste, and enhance safety
- Providing clear, real-time guidance to plant operators, maintenance teams, and field crews, improving responsiveness and confidence
- Capturing expert procedures before retirement and standardizing best practices across teams and locations
- Connecting digital instructions with HMI/SCADA, MES, and alarm systems to automate actions and streamline decision-making
(B) Digital Work Instructions
11:10 am - 11:40 am From Resistance to Results: Making Digital Instructions Work on the GroundAdoption rates for digital work instructions can be low, with initial resistance expected especially from experienced field staff. Learn how to overcome cultural and technical resistance through co-design workshops, phased rollouts, and offline-capable tools. The result, increased usage, improved task accuracy, and stronger engagement.
- Overcoming cultural resistance by involving frontline teams in co-design and pilot phases
- Building trust and usability through intuitive interfaces and offline functionality
- Driving adoption with phased rollouts, peer champions, and targeted training
- Measuring impact through usage analytics, task accuracy, and safety outcomes
(B) Digital Work Instructions
11:40 am - 12:10 pm Panel Discussion: Beyond Paper: Scaling Digital Work Instructions for Safer, Smarter Energy OperationsThis panel brings together industry leaders to discuss how digital work instructions are transforming frontline execution, improving safety, reducing downtime, and preserving institutional knowledge. Panelists will share insights on implementation strategies, workforce adoption, and the role of mobile and connected technologies in driving operational excellence.
- Expose the risks of manual processes in high-pressure, high-risk environments
- Reduce human error and ensure consistency with digital instructions that support compliance
- Boost task execution and workforce confidence using mobile devices, real-time updates, and interactive workflows
- Capture tribal knowledge and standardize execution across teams and sites with digital platforms
- Roll out digital work instructions at scale by integrating with existing systems and overcoming change resistance
(C) Advanced Analytics
10:40 am - 11:10 am Case Study: An Ecosystem Approach for a Connected Worker FrameworkExplore how leading oil and gas operators are building a connected worker framework through an interoperable data and platform ecosystem foundation that enhances focused value delivery and fosters innovation towards long-term sustainment. They will share lessons learned from their journey that start with reality capture as the foundation and what lies ahead for the industry.
• Organizations use imagery to create accurate site models, basemaps, and foundational datasets for various applications by covering five key areas: reality mapping, content, analysis, visualization, and imagery management.
• Visualization supports human interpretation and creation of applications for critical tasks such as infrastructure inspection, disaster response and crisis monitoring and empowers Digital Twins by leveraging rich sensor information, AI and 3D
• With imagery arriving in many formats from diverse sources, organizations need a system that can catalog, search, analyze, and manage it at scale through a complete end to end system
(C) Advanced Analytics
11:10 am - 11:40 am Transforming Facility Management: Location Intelligence in Downstream OperationsAdvanced analytics and location intelligence are reshaping how plant and refinery operators manage assets, optimize production, and ensure safety.
This session explores how real-time sensor data, GeoAI, reality mapping, and 3D visualization are being used to drive efficiency, reduce risk, and improve decision-making across downstream and chemical operations.
Gain insights into key applications, enabling technologies, and the strategic benefits of embedding geospatial analytics into connected operations.
• Leveraging sensors, AI, and digital twins to enhance safety, reduce costs, and support data-driven decision-making
• Using reality mapping and machine learning to improve asset and inventory management
• Integrating data from key business systems to boost situational awareness and streamline coordination
• Exploring how to integrate IoT, AI, and visualization tools into a unified platform that supports enterprise-wide decision-making
(C) Advanced Analytics
11:40 am - 12:10 pm Panel: Delivering Business Value through Location, Visualization and IntegrationHear from industry leaders on their journey toward operational excellence. We will discuss the challenges and opportunities around data management, visualization, and integration at scale. Understand approaches, best practices and lessons learned around the implementation of geospatial solutions and digital twins.
• The importance of geospatial across the energy value chain
• Delivering measurable ROI with technology solutions
• Tackling challenges like data quality, legacy systems, and workforce readiness with agile approaches
12:10 pm - 12:40 pm
Networking Lunch
Take control of your experience with three dynamic, concurrent tracks tailored to the most critical aspects of connected worker tech. Whether you're focused on upskilling your team, streamlining processes, or deploying cutting-edge tools, you can build a personalized agenda that aligns with your goals. Maximize ROI by attending only the sessions that matter most to you and your team, ensuring every minute spent drives actionable value.
Connected Worker Tech in Action
1:10 pm - 1:50 pm
Case Study: Leveraging Digital Twins to Transform Plant Operations at Kuraray America
Richard Jackson -
Project Engineering Manager,
Kuraray America Inc
Join Richard as he shares his practical journey deploying digital twins across plant operations, from HSE preplanning and turnaround execution to daily maintenance and immersive operator training. Learn how integrating scheduling, asset visualization, and real-time updates has unlocked new levels of efficiency, safety, and workforce engagement.
- Streamlining STO execution with real-time, visual planning and scheduling
- Enhancing workforce readiness through virtual environments for training and emergency scenarios
- Overcoming rollout challenges including infrastructure, connectivity, and adoption
- Exploring future potential such as gamification and scaling digital twins across business units
1:40 pm - 2:10 pm
Empowering Frontline Teams Through Digital Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing
Traditional training and knowledge retention methods often fall short in today’s fast-paced industrial environments. This session explores how cloud-based collaboration and performance support tools are transforming how frontline teams learn, share expertise, and solve problems, faster and more effectively, all while reducing onboarding time, boosting workforce agility, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Accelerating skills development with on-demand training and digital knowledge hubs
- Preserving best practices before experienced workers retire
- Enabling real-time collaboration to resolve issues and maintain operational continuity
- Connecting learning with action through seamless integration with industrial system
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
Case Study: From Insight to Investment: Building Long-Term Asset Strategies in the Utility Sector
Maya Menon -
Asset and Data Strategy Manager,
SoCalGas
Vida Gholami - Data Management & Analytics Manager – Asset Management, SoCalGas
Vida Gholami - Data Management & Analytics Manager – Asset Management, SoCalGas
In this session, Maya from SoCal Gas will share how her team is evolving asset investment management by integrating long-term asset health insights, risk modeling, and affordability into strategic capital planning. She will explore how data-driven decision-making is enabling utilities to move beyond compliance toward sustainable, cost-effective infrastructure investment. The presentation will highlight lessons learned, cultural hurdles, and the role of AI in shaping 20–30-year asset strategies.
- Developing long-term asset strategies by modeling degradation curves and risk profiles over 20–30 years
- Using high-quality asset data and governance frameworks to support strategic investment decisions
- Applying AI and predictive analytics to forecast infrastructure health and optimize capital planning
- Translating asset insights into multi-year investment plans that balance safety, compliance, and affordability
- Overcoming cultural and operational barriers to scale pilot projects into enterprise-wide investment programs
2:40 pm - 3:10 pm
Smarter Assets, Better Outcomes: Enabling Intelligent Decisions with AI & Analytics
In asset-intensive industries, timely, data-driven decisions are key to improving reliability, reducing costs, and managing risk. This session explores how AI and advanced analytics are transforming asset management through predictive maintenance and risk-based decision-making.
- Detecting early signs of equipment degradation using machine learning trained on historical and real-time data
- Optimizing maintenance and capital investments with risk-based frameworks that prioritize critical assets
- Empowering faster, smarter decisions through integrated dashboards combining IoT data, risk scores, and KPIs
1:10 pm - 1:40 pm
Case Study: From Fragmentation to Flow: Scaling a Unified Connected Worker Platform at RWE
Rogers Whittle -
Senior Manager of Digital Operations,
RWE
In the evolving landscape of renewable energy, RWE is pioneering a unified approach to connected worker platforms. This session will explore how the team is integrating dynamic maintenance systems, AI-driven prioritization, and user-centric design to empower over 800 field technicians across wind, solar, and battery assets. Learn how they’re overcoming challenges of tool fragmentation, data transparency, and organizational complexity to deliver scalable, intuitive solutions.
- Building a dynamic maintenance system with AI-powered prioritization
- Simplifying interfaces for 800+ field technicians across diverse assets
- Lessons from integrating systems post-merger with ConEd CEB
- Why GenAI isn’t the bottleneck, data quality and SME knowledge are
- Driving user adoption through embedded product ownership and field engagement
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
Case Study: Connected by Data: Building a Unified Information Ecosystem for Smarter Operations
In this session, Samuel will explore how BASF is redefining the connected worker by focusing not just on devices, but on data accessibility and integration. He’ll share how centralizing information across maintenance, quality, and production systems is transforming decision-making and operational efficiency at BASF.
- Moving beyond devices: redefining “connected” as access to unified data
- Implementing digital logbooks and MES to eliminate data silos
- The real-world benefits experienced at BASF from AI tools
- Addressing challenges in change management and adoption across global sites
1:40 pm - 2:10 pm
From POC to Scalable Reality: Building an Ecosystem That Empowers Frontline Teams
Samuel Parra -
NA Manufacturing Integration Lead,
BASF
Despite years of pilots, many connected worker initiatives struggle to scale. This session explores how to move beyond experimentation and build a secure, user-friendly ecosystem that empowers frontline teams and drives operational impact.
- Lessons from real-world pilots using location services, navigating accuracy, infrastructure, and maintenance challenges
- Evaluating intrinsically safe devices and platform trade-offs in hazardous environments
- Aligning hardware, software, and cybersecurity to support safe, effective field operations
- Driving adoption by prioritizing user experience and reducing app fatigue
- Scaling successfully with strategies that integrate fragmented tools into a unified platform
2:40 pm - 3:10 pm
Digitally Transforming SOPs for Operational Excellence
Manual, paper-based SOPs no longer meet the demands of fast-paced industrial environments. This session explores how digital transformation of standard operating procedures drives efficiency, reduces risk, and empowers connected workers with smarter, more reliable processes, streamlining workflows, enhancing collaboration, and future-proofing operations.
- Modeling and enforcing SOPs digitally to ensure consistency and compliance
- Automating task execution to eliminate manual data entry and reduce human error
- Capturing operational knowledge and supporting continuous improvement with real-time insights
1:10 pm - 1:40 pm
Case Study: Scaling Digital Reality Ecosystems: Lessons from the Field at ExxonMobil
Mark Prosser -
Industrial Mobility Product Manager,
ExxonMobil
This session explores the journey from pilot to scaled deployment of digital reality ecosystems across multiple sites. It highlights the integration of digital twins, mobile devices, and rendering technologies to support maintenance planning and remote operations.
- Leveraging digital twins for remote maintenance and engineering
- Mobile device integration and LIDAR-based data capture
- Vendor collaboration and platform interoperability
- Lessons learned from partial site deployments and future scale-up plans
1:40 pm - 2:10 pm
Agentic AI at Scale: Enabling Trusted, High-Impact Human-in-the-Loop Systems
Agentic AI that can recommend or initiate actions, is emerging as a powerful tool in connected worker strategies. But scaling these systems requires more than just technology. This session explores how to build trust, transparency, and measurable value into AI-driven operations.
- Moving from co-pilot to agentic AI: what’s changing and why it matters
- Addressing trust and transparency challenges with operational leadership
- Designing AI systems that align with engineering logic and safety-critical workflows
- Lessons learned from pilots: why perfection can be the enemy of progress
- Measuring success: how to demonstrate value to both frontline teams and executive leadership
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
Case Study: Solving Real Problems at Duke Energy with XR: From Concept to Deployment
Jenny Taylor -
Digital Transformation and Innovation Lead of XR/VR,
Duke Energy
This session explores how immersive technologies like XR and VR are being used to solve real-world challenges on the manufacturing floor and in the field. Rather than adopting tech for tech’s sake, this presentation emphasizes a problem-first approach, identifying operational pain points and designing custom solutions that fit the environment and workforce.
- Identifying and validating operational problems before selecting technology
- Hands-free, AI-integrated XR solutions for field safety and procedure compliance
- Custom in-house development of immersive training tools
- Lessons learned from deploying safe driver VR training at scale
2:40 pm - 3:10 pm
Empowering the Connected Worker for Safer, Smarter Operations
In high-risk, complex environments, frontline workers need more than manuals and radios. This session explores how energy companies are transforming operations with digital tools, leveraging wearables, private networks, and AI-powered apps to boost safety, speed, and decision-making across the field.
- Accessing critical information hands-free with voice-controlled devices
- Collaborating in real time with remote experts to cut downtime and travel
- Accelerating inspections and maintenance using AR and digital workflows
- Enabling proactive decisions with predictive insights from AI and IoT integration
3:10 pm - 3:55 pm
Solution Insight Session and Afternoon Networking Break
Are you looking to learn more about a specific solution or want to explore the new innovative technology? We’ve got you covered. Step into the dynamic world of our Solution Spotlight Session, where innovation meets opportunity! This is your chance to engage directly with leading solution providers and uncover how their cutting-edge technologies can revolutionize your operations. In this fast-paced session, you’ll have 5 minutes at each booth to dive into the specifics of each solution, ask pressing questions, and discover tailored benefits for your operational setting. Make the most of your time out of the office by gaining actionable insights that you can bring back to your team, ready to implement and drive real change.
3:55 pm - 4:25 pm
Case Study: Connected Workers, Real Impact: Aligning Tools with Operational Reality
Joanna Cooper -
General Manager,
Daimler Truck
Joanna will share how Daimler Truck North America is advancing its connected worker strategy by deeply engaging frontline teams and aligning digital tools with real operational needs. This session will focus on how to foster ownership, drive adoption, and create meaningful change by putting workers at the center of transformation efforts.
- Empowering frontline teams by making tools intuitive, visual, and aligned with how people work
- Driving adoption through transparency and trust, using real-time feedback and performance visibility
- Deploying digital training matrices to support workforce development and skill tracking
- Using digital tools to support, not replace, human judgment, including AI-powered inspections
- Creating active governance by enabling workers to visualize, understand, and influence operational outcomes
4:25 pm - 4:55 pm
Connected Worker Tech in Action Lightning Talks - Fast-Paced. Future-Focused. Field-Tested.
Get ready for a rapid-fire series of 10-minute tech spotlights showcasing the latest innovations transforming the connected workforce. Each session delivers a concise, high impact look at a specific technology designed to boost productivity, safety, and efficiency in the field. Whether you're exploring digital tools for one plant or scaling a connected worker program, these lightning talks offer real-world solutions and actionable insight, in record time.
Talk 1: Transforming Frontline Guidance with Digital Work Instructions
Talk 2: Elevating Asset Performance with Predictive Intelligence
Talk 3: Empowering Smarter Operations with Advanced Analytics
Talk 4: Driving Digital Success with Proven Change Management Approaches
5:10 pm - 5:40 pm
Closing Keynote: Smart Infrastructure for Smarter Operations: Aligning AI, Data, and Security in Industrial Settings
Deepak Sachdeva -
Chief Information Officer,
United States Air Force
This presentation by Deepak Sachdeva, Chief Information Officer at the United States Airforce, explores the real-world challenges and opportunities of deploying AI and digital infrastructure in industrial environments. Drawing from experience in defense and manufacturing, Deepak will unpack the hype around AI, the critical role of data governance, and the strategic decisions between centralized and decentralized infrastructure. Attendees will gain insights into how to build purposeful, secure, and scalable digital ecosystems that empower frontline teams and drive operational excellence.
- Understand how to move beyond FOMO-driven adoption and align AI initiatives with business outcomes
- Explore how data ownership, quality, and feeder systems impact the success of digital tools
- Learn how to evaluate infrastructure strategies based on operational needs, security, and scalability
- Discover how to protect industrial environments from evolving threats while enabling IT/OT convergence
- See how leading technologies bridge hardware and software to support secure, efficient operations
5:40 pm - 6:10 pm
Closing Remarks from the Chair and Conference Concludes for the Day
5:45 pm - 6:45 pm
Networking Drinks Reception
After a day of exclusive insights and transformative ideas, wind down at our Connected Cocktails. Enjoy signature drinks like the “Artificial Intellitini” and “Edge Compute Cooler,” paired with gourmet canapés, upbeat tunes, and great company. Reflect, recharge, and network in a relaxed, engaging setting. After a day of exclusive insights and transformative ideas, wind down at our Connected Cocktails. Enjoy signature drinks like the “Artificial Intellitini” and “Edge Compute Cooler,” paired with gourmet canapés, upbeat tunes, and great company. Reflect, recharge, and network in a relaxed, engaging setting.
