Allie Kennedy Thurmond has worked in both the public and private sectors, led organisations in both R&D and operations, and worked domestically and internationally. She has 30 years of leadership experience with more than 20 years in the energy industry. Currently, Allie is Vice President for North America Lithium at Equinor, where she is responsible for the management and growth of a sustainable lithium business in the US. During her career at Equinor, she has held roles including Vice President and Asset Manager for Exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and Exploration Manager for Mexico, as well as numerous leadership roles in R&D in both the US and Norway. Prior to Equinor, she was a Senior Supervisory Statistician at the US Department of Commerce. She holds a PhD in Geosciences from the University of Texas at Dallas.