Speakers

Miray Genç is a Senior Technical Leader at Tüpraş, responsible for plant operations, process engineering, research and development, process optimization, digitalization initiatives, artificial intelligence applications, sustainability studies, project management and engineering design activities for FCC/Prime G / VSB /DCU /Merox / SHP/ KTU units across Tüpraş refineries. She is also the product owner of Production Groups’ digitalisation & AI teams. Prior to her current role, she held operational positions in the Production Departments of Hydrocracker, Steam Methane Reformer (SMR), Crude Distillation Unit (CDU), and Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) facilities. She also worked as a Chemical Engineer within collaborative research programs conducted between the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research community and Middle East Technical University (METU). She holds an M.S. degree in Polymer Science and Technology and a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Middle East Technical University (METU). She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Dr. Mahmod Samman is the president of Houston Engineering Solutions. He has thirty years of industry experience mostly in damage assessment, repair, and life extension of coke drums. His state-of-the-art techniques in this field are utilized around the world. A licensed professional engineer in Texas, he has a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from Duke University. Dr. Samman has numerous publications and holds six patents. He is a member of ASME and a committee member of API 579/ASME FFS, API 934G and API 934J.

Evan Hyde is the Director of Field Operations for Coking.com Inc. Formerly he was president of Telaxe, a coker consulting firm. He previously was president of C2 Nano Technology where they researched surface treatments to combat fouling and corrosion issues in cokers and other petrochemical process units. He was a Senior Engineering Advisor for Becht Engineering Co., Inc. New Jersey. He has consulted on processing improvement and reliability initiatives for delayed coking clients around the world. He also participated in onsite peer assessments of Coker Units at eight refineries which included improvements in maintenance work practices, process enhancements, and turnaround scope optimization. Prior to joining Becht, Evan worked for ExxonMobil Research and Engineering, as a process engineer, with assignments in research, and troubleshooting for heavy oil upgrading equipment. He holds a B.S. of Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.

David Williams is the driving force behind Berthold Technologies' global business development, specializing in the specialized field of radiometric measurement solutions. His extensive 25-year career has taken him around the world, working in refineries and chemical plants to improve operations with radiometric technology. Starting as a startup and applications engineer before moving into sales, David now serves as the key advisor on using radiometric devices. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering, David's knowledge is both deep and practical, making him a vital asset in the Oil & Gas industry's measurement technology area. At Berthold Technologies, David is more than just a manager; he's an innovator and a strategist, championing the adoption of advanced nuclear instrumentation technologies. His efforts have been crucial in enhancing operational efficiencies and leading the industry forward, cementing Berthold Technologies' position as a market leader.

Mitch graduated from Princeton University in 1979 with a BSc in Chemical Engineering and is a registered PE in Texas. He worked with ExxonMobil for 40 years, retiring in 2019. He has worked as a consultant with Becht for over three years as a process engineering and resid upgrading specialist. He started his career at Bayway Refinery in NJ, then joined the resid upgrading world in 1989, and has focused on delayed coking, visbreaking and resid upgrading for 34 years. Highlights were serving as the process start-up lead for the Venezuelan Cerro Negro Upgrader in 2001 and the Antwerp DCU in Belgium in 2018.

Alex Berry is a Principal Engineer at Integrity Engineering Solutions, based in the United Kingdom. He holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and a Diploma in Welding Engineering from The Welding Institute. A Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Alex has 19 years’ experience in the petrochemical industry. His work includes mechanical integrity assessments of pressure equipment, engineering design, and business-improvement initiatives at both local and corporate levels. His professional interests include bolted flanged joints, coke drums, weld repairs, technical-paper writing, conference speaking and mentoring early-career engineers.

Pete Sanders is the Director of Technology for WSI, a provider of specialty automated welding solutions primarily serving the power generation and refining industries. He has an extensive background in robotic design, holding a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech. Since starting at WSI in 2009, Pete has led a variety of initiatives to develop first-of-a-kind repair technologies, focusing on life extension of critical equipment through innovative welding applications.