Senior Leadership Team

 

Simon Seaton headshot

CEO and Executive Vice President

Simon Seaton

As CEO, Simon Seaton is responsible for overall management of SPE. He works with the Board of Directors and senior staff to develop strategic and business plans and formulate the organization’s goals, objectives, policies, and programs. He also organizes and directs the global staff organization, which includes offices in Dallas, Houston, Calgary, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, and London, to ensure the accomplishment of SPE’s mission.

He previously held the role of CEO, Energy and Resources Worldwide, at Sodexo, a global food, facilities management, and workplace services company where he worked since 2012 in Houston, Singapore, and Dubai.

A graduate of Cardiff University and a chemist by education, his career began as a drilling fluids engineer. He spent 22 years at Halliburton in various technical, business development, and executive roles in Aberdeen, Houston, and Nigeria. Positions at Halliburton included country vice president, managing director of the UK, and senior director of deepwater solutions.

Seaton has been an SPE member for more than 25 years and has authored or coauthored more than 20 technical papers. In 2021 he completed the Global Energy Leadership Program at the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University. Originally from the UK, he currently resides in Houston. 


Steve ByrneCFO and Director

Steve Byrne

Steve Byrne is responsible for global finances, including treasury and investment services and coordination of the audit and consolidated financial reporting of all global SPE legal entities.

Before joining SPE, Byrne was controller for ThinkSpark Corporation, an Oracle database consulting firm, for 2½ years. Prior to ThinkSpark, he worked 16 years for ARCO where he held various financial and tax positions in US operations as well as the international division.

He received his BBA in accounting and finance from Texas A&M University in 1983 and became a certified public accountant in 1986.


Michelle Boyd

Chief Global Events Officer

Michelle Boyd

Michelle Boyd joined SPE in 2011 and leads the global event teams based in Calgary, Dallas, Dubai, Houston, Kuala Lumpur, and London. She is responsible for SPE’s portfolio of events that includes large scale international conferences and exhibitions, topical regional conferences and symposiums, invitation-only forums, technical workshops, training courses and seminars. 

Before SPE, Michelle was head of conferences for Reed Exhibitions in Abu Dhabi and executive director of conferences and training for the Institute of International Research in Dubai, now the Informa Group.

Michelle began her career in Australia in corporate communications and has run corporate events and communication projects for clients including Pfizer, Optus, Qantas and TNT. She has run events across the Middle East, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore and the United States.

She holds a BA degree from the University of New England and a MA degree in communication management from the University of Technology, Sydney. She is a member of the ASAE.


Dana OtillioVice President, Marketing and Communications

Dana Otillio

Dana Otillio is responsible for the leadership and global operations of digital publishing, multimedia programs, marketing, communications, and public outreach programs. Working with other members of the executive team, she also delivers Board-approved initiatives, including the SPE Strategic Plan.
 
Otillio joined SPE in 2005 and has spent most of her career in marketing and public relations roles. Prior to joining SPE, she was an Associate at Burson-Marsteller, handling crisis communications and media outreach for several energy and utility companies. She also worked in communications roles for the Lafayette Utilities System and the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.
 
Otillio received a BLA in Mass Communications from the University of Louisiana.


Joe HealyDirector, Human Resources and Facilities

Joe Healy

Joe Healy is responsible for global human resources (HR) and facilities at SPE. He works closely with the leadership team to deliver an HR strategy that ensures continuous improvement in resourcing, learning and development, reward practices, relations, people data systems, and health and safety.

Before joining SPE, Joe led HR functions for a number of international companies in a variety of sectors including travel, hospitality, technology, financial services, and non-profit. His most recent role was HR director for Victim Support, an independent charity for people affected by crime and traumatic events in England and Wales.

Healy received a bachelor's degree in geography and economics from the London School of Economics, and a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of London. He has worked as a lecturer and teacher in the United Kingdom and Australia, and he is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.


Jane BoyceDirector, Member Programs and Services

Jane Boyce

Jane Boyce is responsible for membership activities, which includes membership development and retention, section and regional programs, and young member programs; technical and professional activities, which include technical sections, certification, and awards; customer service; and the SPE Foundation.

Boyce joined SPE in 1989 as manager, member services. She was also senior manager, member services. Before joining SPE, she held management positions with the American Institute of Banking in Dallas and Life Office Management Association in Atlanta.

She has a BBA degree in management from the University of Oklahoma and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives.


Leigh Ann RunyanDirector, Americas Events; Executive Director, OTC

Leigh Ann Runyan

Leigh Ann Runyan is responsible for the management of all SPE events throughout the Americas including the Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, the society’s annual meeting. Her responsibilities include Americas event and exhibit operations, registration services, sponsorships, and training courses. She also has responsibility for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) which has an attendance of 70,000-90,000 each year in Houston.

Prior to SPE, Runyan was with the American Heart Association for 21 years where she held several positions in Meetings and Professional Education. Her last position before leaving AHA was vice president, Meetings. Her primary responsibility as vice president was the overall management of the department's 250+ meetings annually.

Runyan graduated from the University of Tulsa with a BS in finance and later received a BS in hotel administration from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas (UNLV). Runyan also holds a master's in hospitality administration from UNLV. She is a certified meeting professional and a member of the Professional Convention Management Association.


Michelle TanDirector, Asia Pacific Events

Michelle Tan

Michelle Tan is the director of events for SPE in Asia Pacific, and she leads the events team based in Kuala Lumpur. Tan joined SPE in 2014 and oversees delivery of the region’s conferences and exhibitions, workshops, and forums.

She has 15 years of experience in the global events industry, first joining the Institute for International Research, now an Informa business, in Australia and then moved within the Informa group to New York as managing director of its finance and investment division, responsible for the portfolio of alternative and institutional investments, and wealth management events. Tan’s experience also includes roles in general management and project and program development with IIR Middle East in Dubai, AsianInvestor in Hong Kong, and United Business Media in ASEAN.

Tan is experienced in brand extensions with the expansion of events and has worked with various stakeholders through international and local joint-venture projects in North America, Europe, MENA and Asia. She holds a BA in psychology and sociology from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and her special interests include social entrepreneurship, women and finance, and education.


Grigory Zarayskiy

Director, Europe and Caspian Events

Grigory Zarayskiy

Grigory Zarayskiy joined SPE in 2021 and is now responsible for the management of all SPE events throughout Europe and Caspian region including the SPE Offshore Europe and SPE EuropEC partnerships.

Prior to SPE, Grigory was with Reed Exhibitions for 15 years serving as CEO in Russia and in India. Grigory has also worked for Hilti Russia as Vice President Marketing and led Canon business in the CIS countries.

Grigory graduated from Moscow Institute of Engineering and Physics, with a Master's degree in automation and telemechanics, and later earned an MBA in General Management from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia. Grigory is passionate about travelling the world with his family and civil aviation.


Julie AtkinsonDirector, MEASA Events

Julie Atkinson

Julie Atkinson is the director of events for SPE in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, and leads the events team based in Dubai, UAE.  

Julie joined SPE in 2014 and oversees delivery of the region’s conferences and exhibitions, workshops, and forums. She has over 25 years of experience in the global events industry, starting off in South Africa and Zimbabwe and then as Event Director for (QMDI) Qatar Foundation in Doha, Qatar.

Julie has extensive experience in operations and logistics for large and small scale meetings and is passionate about producing outstanding events, highlighting flagship events for the region including IPTC, MEOS and ADIPEC. Her special interests include reading, movies, fitness and travel.


photo of K Richardson

Director, Information Technology

Kimberly Richardson

Kimberly Richardson joined SPE in 2018. She is responsible for providing vision and leadership for enterprise IT initiatives and is also focused on optimizing the efficiency and performance of existing systems. She oversees technology operations and budgeting, system security, network connectivity, data backup and disaster recovery.

Prior to SPE, Richardson was director of information technology for Pancon Corporation – an innovative manufacturer of electrical connectors and polymer capacitors. Before that, she worked in a number of IT leadership roles for Comcast.

Richardson attended American InterContinental University and is a certified Scrum Master.


Headshot of Pam Boschee

Director, Magazines

Pam Boschee

Pam Boschee is the director of SPE magazines, including the Journal of Petroleum Technology, Oil and Gas Facilities, HSE Now, Data Science and Digital Engineering, and The Way Ahead. She joined SPE in 2011 as a senior editor to develop and launch Oil and Gas Facilities, bringing more than 30 years’ experience in the energy industry.

Prior to joining SPE, she held managing editor positions with publications related to the upstream and power-generation industries. Previously, she held roles as a natural gas analyst, an analytical and research chemist for a national laboratory for environmental regulatory compliance, and as a litigation consultant for the chemical and energy industries. 

Boschee holds a BS in psychology and chemistry from the University of North Dakota and an MS in behavioral medicine from North Dakota State University.


photo of Judy Johnstone

General Counsel

Judy Johnston

Judy Johnston provides counsel to all of SPE’s legal entities. She is also SPE's compliance officer. Before joining SPE in 2013, Johnston served in senior counsel positions for JCPenney, from 1989 through 2001, as well as senior counsel positions for Aegon Direct Marketing (Transamerica), Countrywide Financial, and SuperMedia. Johnston is recognized for her knowledge of corporate, contract, international, intellectual property, and privacy laws.

Johnston holds a BS degree in biology-chemistry from Oklahoma Christian University and a JD degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law. She is currently a member of the Texas and Oklahoma Bar Associations as well as the International Association of Privacy Professionals.