Guest Speaker Series: Rami Qasem on Achieving a Net-Zero Future

UBC MEL MHLP - Guest Speaker 2021 - Rami Qasem

On Tuesday May 18, Rami Qasem discussed a net-zero future and the ways to meet energy demands in the coming years with MEL students. This is especially important to MEL students as they develop their careers in the energy sector.

Qasem, the Executive Vice President of Baker Hughes leading the Digital Solutions business, is a market leader in condition monitoring, sensing and emission management, control systems and cybersecurity, additive manufacturing services and industrial inspection.

Qasem himself holds a BA in Engineering from Texas A&M University and has over 25 years of experience in the energy industry. He has previously served as President of the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and India region for Baker Hughes. Prior to joining Baker Hughes, he served as President of the MENATI region for GE Oil & Gas from 2011-2017. His experience gives our students good exposure to the breadth and range in the industry. Under his leadership, Baker Hughes has received multiple industry awards and is recognized as one of the top companies in the region.

Qasem has significant experience leading large, multi-faceted international businesses both regionally and globally. His insight and knowledge are valuable to MEL students as they look to develop their careers, particularly those in MEL in Clean Energy Engineering, Urban Systems, and Dependable Software Systems.

In his roles Qasem has been working to advance sustainable energy for decades. Now, it is taking this experience in sustainable energy to focus on developing and deploying solutions to enable a net-zero future for the energy sector and beyond.

Qasem posed the question to the MEL cohort how do we meet the world’s growing demand for energy? And then how do we meet the world’s demands of energy – to be safer, cleaner, and more efficient?

Qasem outlined 3 truths that he felt needed to be achieved, to reach a net-zero future:

Without a major acceleration in technologies, the energy technology industry will not meet net-zero targets.
Our reliance on hydrocarbons will not disappear, so efficiency solutions are critical to reducing emissions.
There is no path to net zero without partnership and collaboration.

During the session, Qasem raised other considerations that are essential to meet the growing energy demands while creating clean and sustainable options.

Firstly, being highly innovative is key.

Building new technologies, collaborating with different industry, and challenging efficiency are all necessary for innovation. Qasem indicated that AI and tech will be able to deliver a new energy future.

Secondly, he advised MEL students that solutions need to be driven by data.

Digital solutions such as AI help to generate new paths for industry change. These considerations demonstrate that cross-industry collaboration is necessary to meet the growing energy demands.

Finally, the MEL cohort were able to connect to Qasem, which marked a great opportunity to learn from a very experienced individual.

This helped MEL students explore the types of considerations for building a greener energy future within the context of their own career transitions.

Are you ready to lead the net-zero future? Explore how the Master of Engineering Leadership programs help you make an impact on your industry and take your career in new directions.