Christie Shepard reflects on the January 2026 Board meeting and the priorities shaping the year ahead.

I was pleased to participate in the annual Energy LEAP Board meeting in January 2026. We had planned to meet in person in Houston, but severe weather across the US moved the session online. Despite the change, the agenda remained full, and it carried added significance as this year marks Energy LEAP’s 20th anniversary.

 

Shared Priorities

We opened with each board member sharing their respective companies’ strategic priorities for the year, and what came through clearly was how closely our journeys align. Transformation programs are accelerating across all of our organizations, creating momentum but also putting pressure on capacity. Every company raised the importance of clear KPIs and consistent metrics across the deal lifecycle, and we are each navigating the same challenge of modernizing core systems without losing delivery speed. There is also increasing interest in AI and its practical application in commodity operations, and with that comes a growing appetite for shared learnings and industry standardization.

 

Growing Membership

When member companies are navigating similar challenges in parallel, having a space to coordinate on standards, share what is working, and avoid duplicating effort makes a tangible difference. That value is reflected in expanding membership interest, with Glencore, ADNOC, and CommodityAI expected to join upcoming discussions. The Board also supported the creation of a dedicated digital communications role to strengthen how we share outcomes and progress with the membership and wider industry.

 

A Clearer Model

One of the most practical outcomes of the meeting was agreeing on a clearer model for how Energy LEAP’s work is structured going forward. Forums define where value exists and where the industry needs alignment, working groups take that forward into draft standards and published solutions, and advocacy carries that work across the membership and the wider market.

 

What’s Next

That progression has been building for some time, and the year is already moving fast. New working groups are launching on deal recap standardization and performance metrics, alongside established forums on KYC, methane emissions reporting, and the EU Russian sanctions clauses. We are also exploring an event to bring the membership together in person later in the year.

It’s shaping up to be a busy year, and I look forward to seeing what we deliver together.

 

Christie Shepard

Chair of Energy LEAP Board

VP Counterparty & Process Data Systems,

Commercial Operations Trading & Supply, Shell