AFAM: Hello Hervé and thank you for this interview. You are an Independent Director at Solutions Energy based in Houston, TX. Please tell us a few words about the company and your role in it.
Hervé: During my 35 year career, I had the chance to work for some of the largest companies in the world, focusing first on safety as an engineer, then advising them on strategy, operations and technology as a management consultant. Being based in Houston for most of my career, I was dealing primarily on the energy sector and experienced first hand the effects of the ups and down of the market. One thing that is not always recognized, is the role of innovation and technology in energy. The energy industry is on a constant treadmill to develop solutions to meet the ever increasing demand of petroleum product or power globally. Extracting hydrocarbons from an ultra deep water reservoir at 40,000 psi, enabling a brand new operating model for an oil and gas company to drill over 10 new wells per week (in the process making the US the largest oil and gas producer in the world), or deploying advanced AI tools for energy companies come at great risks (both financial and physical), but are just table stakes in this industry. Technology innovation has always fascinated me, and after my soft retirement in late 2024, I decided to jump on the new technology bandwagon. I accepted to join the Board of Directors of Solution Energy. We are a startup working on a set of unique technology we hope will unlock the potential of geothermal, not only in the US, but also globally. The phenomenal increase in new power needs due to new data centers, and the general trend of electrification in various parts of the world (obviously in the US), can't be met with the current grid. The cost to the consumer and local communities would experience in irreversible water shortages would be just too high. At Solution Energy, we hope to be part of the answer that will address these challenges.
AFAM: With your Arts et Metiers degree in your pocket, you then obtained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from UC Davis in 1990 and after that you worked for DOW in the US. Could you tell us more about your beginnings in the USA and how come you moved to Houston?
Hervé: I moved to Houston for personal reasons. My wife is a native of San Francisco, and we decided very early on to settle in the US. Work took me to Houston (later on to San Francisco). This was not the result of a grand master plan. I found that having a US degree was very complementary to my French engineering diploma. The focus on research and the pragmatic way to approach problems was very interesting. I must also admit, that back in the 90's, it helped me a great deal to land my first job at Dow Chemical, as Japan was viewed at the time as the beacon of technology and innovation (at least on the West Coast).
AFAM: During your career, you held senior positions at some management consulting firms. Could you tell us more about this experience?
Hervé: Very rich. My formative years were with Booz Allen Hamilton. Booz was a strategy and operations consulting firm, part of the group with McKinsey, BCG and Bain. It taught me everything I know about business strategy and operations across various industry sectors such as oil and gas, pharmaceutical, consumer products, broadcasting and aerospace (the two years I spent working for NASA were amazing). After a corporate re-structuring where part of the company was sold, I decided to move to more specialized firms, including Schlumberger Business Consulting to specialize in upstream oil and gas, A.T. Kearney to develop unique perspectives on value chain integration, Ernst and Young to work with some of the bests in Mergers and Acquisitions and finally Accenture to help lead the wave of digital transformation, and ultimately the AI revolution. I feel blessed by the opportunity to have worked for the corporate world from many dimensions and with some fascinating companies around the world, including North and South America, Asia, Middle East and Europe.
AFAM: How did being a GadzArts help in your long professional journey?
Hervé: The degree is such a solid foundation. I came to appreciate the true generalist formation, in a sense that it is not a jack of all trades, master of none education. Instead, it is a multi-faceted training that allows a GadzArts to quickly understand technical issues, even when not an expert, and apply a very structured, and pragmatic approach to problem solving. This was very powerful, especially when dealing with various types of businesses across very different cultures. Of course, being a GadzArts also brings the network. Although this was less prevalent for me in the US, every time I crossed path with an Ancient Eleve, something instantly clicked (very often to the surprise of my American colleagues). A direct, constructive and honest dialogue was established immediately. This is not something that always happens with other schools, even the Ivy Leagues ones.
AFAM: You live between Texas ( Houston) and California today. How do you enjoy your spare time?
Hervé: I am trying to enjoy retirement, but it is not easy. The startup world is exciting, but very demanding in terms of time commitment. In addition, I enjoy teaching a graduate class in Mergers and Acquisitions at the University of Tulsa. So free time is scarce. When I can, my wife Diane and our two dogs hit the road in our truck to visit the back country, mostly in the South West of the US. I try to stay as far as I can from air travel. I have done too much of that in the past....
AFAM: Thank you for sharing, Hervé!
Picture: courtesy of Hervé
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