– Energy –

– Energy –

Virtual Conference Sessions of The Vice-Consulate of Hungary in Houston

Overview:

One of the most important and critical issues of today is energy. Energy drives our cars, powers our households, keeps our industry running, allows us to come up with new technologies. Although Texas has a great heritage in energy, it also has great views for the future, as soon will pass California in renewables in it’s energy mix. Apart from the great amounts of investments in the energy sector originated from Texas in Hungary, the innovation capacities in energy brings synergies into the Hungarian and Texas relations. Energy is a key issue to Central-Eastern Europe and Hungary. Hungary has set it’s course towards clean energy and it is investing in state of the art technologies to reach it’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2050. Apart from that - as a landlocked country - diversity of supply is a crucial factor in energy security and regional sustainability. A long neglected topic, the energy infrastructure in Central Europe still has development potential, what would bring energy stability and supply diversity contributing to regional stability. Building strategic cooperation could help common interests in this field. Being in the energy capital of the world, this Vice-Consulate will be exploring how to unlock hidden potentials in this sector through cooperation between Texas and Hungary.

Agenda:

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

04:00 p.m. Central European Time (CET), Hungary

09:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT), Texas

One day prior to the start of the Virtual Conference all registered attendees will receive an email which includes important details, updates, and LINK TO JOIN.

Detailed agenda (US CDT):

09:00 – 09:05    Welcome remarks by Gábor Markocsány, Consul

09:05 – 09:15    Ms. Anna Mikulska, nonresident fellow in energy studies for the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy

09:15 – 09:25    Mr. Tamás Vörös, Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

09:25 – 09:35    Mr. Fred H. Hutchison, President and CEO of The US LNG Association (“LNG Allies”)

09:35 – 09:45    Mr. Alex Cranberg, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Aspect Management Corporation

09:45 – 09:55    Mr. András Peller, Pi Foam System

09:55 – 10:10    Q&A 

Details:

Anna Mikulska, Nonresident Fellow in Energy Studies.

Anna Mikulska, Ph.D., is a nonresident fellow in energy studies for the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Her research focuses on the geopolitics of natural gas within the EU, former Soviet Bloc and Russia. Her current interests include the potential use of natural gas as a geoeconomic tool and investigating ways to leverage U.S. LNG exports to bolster European energy security. Mikulska is a senior fellow at University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, where she teaches graduate-level seminars on energy policy and geopolitics of energy. She is also a fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute and sits on the editorial board of the Adam Mickiewicz University Law Review. Mikulska speaks Polish, English, German, Farsi and Russian. She received a law degree from Adam Mickiewicz University, a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Windsor in Canada, and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Houston.

Tamás Vörös, Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Diplomacy

As Director of the Department of Energy and Climate Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Tamás Vörös supports the Ministerial Commissioner for International Energy Cooperation / Ambassador-at-large for Energy Security. He oversees the Department’s work on analysing global and regional energy and climate policy developments as well as devising and representing Hungary’s position in these fields with an emphasis on energy security and decarbonisation. 

Tamás Vörös majored in History and English at Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Hungary and received an M.A. in Politics and Government specializing in International Relations from Saint John’s University, New York. A career diplomat, he has been with the Ministry since 2001 where he developed a security policy background dealing with NATO issues. Between 2003 and 2007 he served at the Permanent Delegation of Hungary to NATO focusing on non-proliferation, nuclear policy, missile defense and arms control as well as the Alliance’s relations with Mediterranean and Gulf states. After years working in the team of the Political Director, in 2010 he was posted to the Embassy of Hungary in Oslo, Norway as Deputy Chief of Mission. He was appointed as Deputy Director for Emerging Security Challenges (energy security, terrorism, cyberspace, climate/sustainability) on his return to Hungary in 2014. He took up his present function in November 2018.

Fred H. Hutchison is the President and CEO of The US LNG Association (“LNG Allies”). An advocate, communicator, and entrepreneur, Fred has been a government and public relations generalist for more than four decades and is a trusted adviser to private and public sector leaders worldwide. Early in his career, he was a legislative assistant for energy and natural resources for U.S. Sen. Frank Church and earned a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The US LNG Association (trading as “LNG Allies”) is the only independent nonprofit organization focused on advancing the interests of the US LNG industry. LNG Allies promotes effective public policy; communicates the benefits of robust US LNG exports; conducts and sponsors research and policy analysis; organizes workshops, conferences, and issue briefings; advocates for favorable legislative and regulatory changes; and disseminates information about US LNG exports. Internationally, LNG Allies works with its members to open new markets, expand existing markets, and establish strategic relationships. Our mission is to help bring the climate, environmental, economic, and geostrategic benefits of US LNG to the world.

Alex Cranberg is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Aspect Management Corporation which manages the Aspect family of companies. The name Aspect was derived from Alex’s philosophy of embracing diverse and innovative approaches to solving problems and creating opportunities.  Aspect is now a respected and active global enterprise, which together with its partners, has invested over $1 billion dollars in exploration and production activities. Prior to founding the Aspect Group, Alex was as an operations and reservoir engineer for Houston Oil and Minerals Corp, later joining General Atlantic Partners, where he was responsible for its successful petroleum investments in the volatile 1980’s.  Alex was raised in Los Alamos, NM, Charlottesville, VA, and Austin, TX. He graduated from University of Texas at Austin in 1977 receiving a degree in Petroleum Engineering. He went on to earn his MBA from Stanford University in 1981. In 2011, Governor Rick Perry, appointed Cranberg to a six year term on The University of Texas System Board of Regents where he also serves as Chairman of the Health Affairs Committee. He is also on the Board of the Texas Medical Center. Alex is dedicated to and active in philanthropy. His philanthropic efforts are focused both on backing diversity and innovation in education (as Chairman of ACE Scholarship Foundation) and activism in a variety of public policy areas, including serving on the Board of Directors of The Leadership Program of the Rockies. He was named to the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Hall of Fame in 2010. Mr. Cranberg also invests outside the Aspect Group. In 2006, Mr. Cranberg and one of Aspects founding shareholders, CWS, were part of an investor group that partnered with the principals of Quantum Energy Partners to create Quantum Resources, a private oil and gas company focused on acquiring, enhancing, producing and divesting long-lived, mature, onshore oil and gas properties in North America. Mr. Cranberg, CWS and other partners have invested over USD$1 billion in exploration and production activities and have established a solid operational and investment track record.

Peller András, Pi Foam Systems

András T. PELLER, (Msc in Disaster Management, Business Administration, Technical Engineering) studied as an Economist at the College of Finance and Accountancy and as a Technical Manager at the Ybl Miklós University in Hungary. Later, he became MSc in Disaster Management at the University of Public Service in Budapest. He built up an IT company which he was managing for more than ten years. As a seasoned and successful leader in the IT sector, he learned to manage a middle-sized company effectively in a highly competitive international market. Being an enthusiast for technological advancements and for research and development, he accepted a partner role SFPRD’s parent company, where he became the leader of operations and of the R&D division.