Leading Energy as a System: Key Takeaways from Our Executive MBA in Energy Webinar
September 29, 2026 2026-09-30 11:18Leading Energy as a System: Key Takeaways from Our Executive MBA in Energy Webinar
What it takes to lead in a connected energy industry
- Catherine Kerley
Upcoming Live Q&A: Executive MBA in Energy
When: Thursday, October 1, Noon CDT
Host: Adam Clinton, Interim Executive Director, EMBA in Energy
Energy is often discussed in pieces: oil and gas, electricity, renewables, transportation. But in real life, leaders don’t get to make decisions in pieces.
That idea shaped a recent webinar hosted by Adam Clinton, who leads the University of Oklahoma’s Executive MBA in Energy at the Price College of Business. Clinton was joined by three guests:
- Bryan Hannegan, President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy and an instructor in the program
- Heidi Hoffower, Owner of Equal Energy LLC and EMBA in Energy alum and
- Reeve Fidler, OU Online enrollment coach
Together, they explored what it takes to lead in a connected energy industry. They also discussed how the program helps energy professionals build knowledge beyond their own specialty.
Everything Is Connected
Hannegan opened with a core lesson from the energy systems course he teaches.
“Everything is connected to everything else in the energy system, whether you realize it or not,” he said. “One of the big things we do as utilities is develop a portfolio of power supply resources that we want to make sure are providing reliable power but are also doing so in a way that is at a low cost both now and in the future.”
Take natural gas. U.S. supply may be plentiful, but global demand and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports can move prices. A power plant that looks like a smart investment today may not stay competitive five years from now.
The lesson for energy leaders is simple: look beyond your own sector. Understand the forces elsewhere in the system that could shape your decisions.
Plan for What You Can't Predict
That broader view matters even more as demand shifts. Hannegan pointed to data centers, AI and electrification as forces reshaping energy needs. Leaders can’t predict which future will occur, he said, but they can plan for multiple possibilities. His approach is scenario analysis:
- Think in probabilities.
- Look for investments with more than one source of value.Â
- Ask how a decision could go wrong.
“We never want to be in a position to say, ‘No, we can’t supply that to you, we can’t get it there,’ because that’s a lost market opportunity,” he said.
In Hannegan’s course, students feel that uncertainty firsthand. During a portfolio-planning exercise, he adds a “wild card,” such as a technology suddenly becoming unavailable or demand doubling.
“There’s a lot of unknowns, and that’s a big part of it,” Clinton said. “Being thrown those curve balls like that is a real-world situation students get to experience.”
Before making a major long-term investment, Hannegan recommends asking three questions:
- What will the energy system look like in the future?
- What options are available to meet that future?
- What are we missing or getting wrong?
Great Decisions Are Team Decisions
Energy decisions rarely belong to one department. Engineering, operations, finance, commercial and regulatory teams all bring something to the table.
For Hannegan, strong leadership means bringing those views together. It means encouraging healthy debate and building enough trust for people to challenge one another. Leaders don’t have to make every call themselves. Often, their job is to guide a strong decision-making process and build a team that can carry it out.
“We are one company,” Hannegan said. “Healthy tension is a good thing. You have to really dig in and create a high trust, high functioning team.”
That team-first approach grows more important as technology, customer demand and workforce needs keep changing. Hannegan said leaders need to keep learning. They should surround themselves with people who know more than they do. And they should build the skills their organizations will need next, not just the skills they need today.
A Broader View Can Open New Doors
Hoffower saw that shift firsthand. She spent more than 20 years in oil and gas at Chevron and ExxonMobil, moving from a geoscience background into technical leadership and corporate strategy.
She chose OU’s hybrid program for its energy focus and the chance to learn alongside professionals from across the industry. She said that broader perspective helped prepare her for a corporate business development role, where she evaluated opportunities across oil and gas, renewables and biofuels.
“The program helped me start looking at different roles and jobs that were available,” she said. “The whole program enabled me to have those bigger connections and understanding of how to be successful in an integrated energy system in the future.”
Today, Hoffower runs her own energy advisory company and serves as president of the program’s new alumni society. She still draws on the relationships she built in the program.
Built for Working Energy Leaders
The Executive MBA in Energy is a 15-month hybrid program designed for mid- to upper-level energy professionals. Most coursework is online, so you can keep working while you learn. The program also includes three in-person residencies:
- An opening week in Norman
- An international module in Europe
- A closing week in Norman
During the webinar, Fidler walked through the admission requirements. He also explained how the enrollment team supports prospective students from their first question through application and enrollment.
For professionals being asked to lead beyond their specialty, the program builds the broader perspective needed to navigate a connected energy system.
Hannegan offered a piece of advice from his early career as a U.S. Senate staffer. Each night, he asked whether there was anything else he could do to help. One night, the answer led to a chance to help draft what became the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
“You never know what kinds of opportunities are available unless you ask,” he said.
If you’re wondering whether the Executive MBA in Energy fits your leadership goals, start by asking.
Watch the webinar recording, then bring your questions to Clinton during a live Q&A on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Noon CDT.
