An exclusive panel of industry leaders as they share their perspectives on the trends, innovations, workforce strategies, and investments driving the future of the Gulf Coast’s petrochemical industry—one of the world’s most dynamic and influential industrial regions.

Featured Panelists

• Prem Vuthandam
  Interim CEO, PEMEX Deer Park
• Todd Behne
  Plant Manager, OxyChem – Ingleside Plant, Gregory, TX
• Luca Balbo
  Global Director of Operations, Industrial Intermediate & Infrastructure, Dow

Moderator

• Jim Griffin
  Associate Vice Chancellor & Senior Vice President, San Jacinto College – LyondellBasell CPET

From operational excellence and emerging technologies to workforce development and long-term investment strategies, this engaging discussion will provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of the Gulf Coast energy and manufacturing landscape.

A Leadership Conversation at the Gulf Coast Industry Forum

Two of the chemical industry’s leading voices for a timely conversation on the State of the Chemical Industry and the forces shaping its future.

Featuring:

Chris Jahn, President & CEO, American Chemistry Council

Hector Rivero, President & CEO, Texas Chemistry Council

From the Gulf Coast to Washington, D.C., the chemical industry is navigating a rapidly changing landscape. Hear these industry leaders share their perspectives on the economic, policy, and competitive forces shaping the industry today, and what they mean for the future of chemical manufacturing along the Gulf Coast and across the nation.

Gain an executive-level perspective on the challenges and opportunities ahead for one of America’s most essential industries.

The Project That Changed the Game for Houston’s Life Sciences Industry

How did Houston beat more than 300 competing locations to land one of the largest life sciences investments in U.S. history?

An exclusive, behind-the-scenes conversation with the leaders who made it happen. Eli Lilly and Company’s $6.5 billion manufacturing campus at Generation Park will create more than 600 high-paying permanent jobs, approximately 4,000 construction jobs, and establish Houston as a national leader in advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing. The project was won through years of collaboration among industry, education, developers, and economic development partners, and this panel will tell the story from those who led it.

Hear directly from:

• Diane Tennehouse, Eli Lilly – Why Houston? What ultimately convinced one of the world’s premier pharmaceutical companies to invest billions here?
• Ryan McCord, McCord Development – How Generation Park was strategically developed over more than a decade to compete for transformational projects like Eli Lilly.
• Dr. Brenda Hellyer, San Jacinto College – How San Jacinto’s investment in cutting-edge biomanufacturing education is creating the workforce pipeline that gave Houston a competitive advantage and will support Lilly’s long-term success.
• Moderator: Steve Kean, Greater Houston Partnership

Don’t just hear about Houston’s next chapter, hear it from the people writing it.

Houston’s future. Industry’s impact. Leadership that matters.

Join Mayor John Whitmire at the 17th Annual Gulf Coast Industry Forum, where the leaders driving Houston’s industrial economy come together. Hear directly from the Mayor and connect with hundreds of executives, industry leaders and decision-makers from across the Houston Port Region and Gulf Coast.

Connecting Industry. Strengthening the Gulf Coast.