Women in Energy: Karen Kearby, AEGIS Hedging Solutions

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Throughout her energy career spanning more than 25 years, Karen Kearby has remained humble as she has risen through the ranks to a directorial position. While she credits her father for her initial interest in the sector, she has her mother to thank for supporting and mentoring her throughout her career.

Kearby said her “perseverant and confident” attitude has served her well through times where she’s been the only woman in the room, and it has allowed her to be the kind of mentor to young professionals that she envisioned.

“This is a dynamic industry. The most important advice I could share is to continue to be intellectually curious,” Kearby said. “Never miss an opportunity to jump in and help, even if it is outside of your comfort zone. You never know what there is to learn on the other side, especially if you don’t leap.”

Energy runs in the family

“I am a native Houstonian, aka the energy capital of the world. My dad graduated from Texas A&M as a petroleum engineer. So when I graduated with a degree in accounting from Texas A&M, the energy industry felt like a natural fit. I guess you could say it is in my blood.”

Improving ESG

“A year ago, most of us had no idea what ESG stood for. Fast forward to the first of this year, our company acquired a leading trader of environmental credits. With this addition, we can now assist companies in evaluating and offsetting their environmental impact. This new project has helped educate me and build my awareness of the challenges facing our industry and what it will look like moving forward.”

Mentorship

“I want to be an approachable mentor, one that inspires problem-solving and teaches perseverance and a forward-thinking mentality. I want to communicate that life does not present us with problems, only challenges, and above all to be respectful of others and yourself. I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic and brilliant people in my career. However, my most influential mentor was my mom. My father passed away when I was young, and my mother became a single parent. She taught me to be resilient and respectful. The most important lesson she taught me is that you can accomplish anything if you are persevering and work hard.”

Through boom and bust

“The resiliency of this industry is amazing; I have lived through countless boom and bust cycles. In my role at AEGIS Hedging, we assess and mitigate risk for each client based on their individual financial goals and help them create a unique financial plan or strategy to meet their goals. This is super exciting. We are helping to solidify the future cash flows of our clients so they can continue to produce affordable energy, which improves everyone’s quality of life. The last two years have taught us that we can work and connect from anywhere, and the ability to adapt to change is crucial. Technology was an essential part of this transformation. This was a massive differentiator for our clients as we enabled them to access key financials on Aegis’ secure platform. Now, it is time to step up and start our journey to lowering our carbon footprint. Fuel is important for everyone. Our industry’s job is to provide the most environmentally friendly and economical power for our future as the energy transition begins worldwide.”

Click here for a full list of “25 Influential Women in Energy” honorees for 2022.