Katie Mehnert
Founder and CEO of Pink Petro
“She is the Founder and CEO of Pink Petro™, the global community and career resource aimed at disrupting the gender gap in energy. Pink Petro has grown exponentially since its launch in 2014, with members in 120 countries and at over 500 companies. Forbes recently named Pink Petro one of seven Communities Where You Can Connect with Company Insiders. And in 2017, Katie launched Experience Energy℠ the only global careers platform for women in energy.
Katie spent 20 years in oil and gas and is an expert in driving cultural transformations through education and change management. A Who’s Who in Energy and Top 40 under 40 honoree, Katie has held global leadership roles with industry giants BP and Shell in health and safety during periods of financial crisis, spills, divestment and globalization. She has been named to the 2017 C-Suite Network Women’s Council, a 2017 ABC Woman of the Week, a top 5 Houstonian to Know by the Houston Business Journal and a D-MARS top 30 Influential Woman in Houston.
Prior to Big Oil, Katie consulted with Duke Energy, Waste Management, Entergy and Enron. Her chaotic, imperfect corporate path drove her to build Pink Petro and help companies prepare for the looming talent shortage, end the gender gap and mitigate energy’s reputational crisis.
Katie has bootstrapped Pink Petro to 300% growth in less than three years. She has created multiple products and services to help companies shift their approach to talent and culture — the new T&Cs of energy — including her award-winning website with an audience of readers and contributors that is 60% female and 40% male. HERWorld Energy Forum, drew 7,500 attendees in 2017 — both in-person and online. Pink Petro TV gives members of her community access to exclusive content and professional development opportunities year-round. And, Experience Energy is the careers destination site for women and minorities globally.
Katie has grown a powerful social media presence and become a sought-after contributor, expert and thought leader in energy. She has been featured or cited by S&P, Forbes, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Glassdoor ,The Houston Chronicle, and featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, Time Warner and Fox in key energy markets across the U.S. She’s been a business contributor to Forbes, The European Business Review, Singapore Straits Times, The Houston Business Journal, Business Insider, Fairygodboss, and CEO.com.
Katie serves on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Southwest Texas, and she is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Lean In Energy, a nonprofit formed with the Sheryl Sandberg and David Goldberg Family Foundation. Lean In Energy serves women in energy globally, with mentoring programs, advocacy and education to drive change in the workplace.
Katie is a four-time World Major marathoner having completed London, Chicago, New York and Berlin. Her husband is an Associate General Counsel with Baker Hughes General Electric and they live with their 7-year-old daughter, a “Ninja-Neer” in the making, in the Energy Corridor.
