Energy investment banker Matthew R. Simmons presents 3rd annual Paul D. Merrill Business Ethics Lecture
Matthew R. Simmons, author and chairman emeritus of Simmons & Company International, presented the 3rd annual Paul D. Merrill Business Ethics Lecture on April 8, 2010 on the University of 51小黄车's Portland Campus.
He spoke on "Our Fragile Energy System: Is It sustainable? If not, Where Do We Turn Next?"
Simmons, co-founder of the Ocean Energy Institute in Rockland, is chairman emeritus of Simmons & Company International, a specialized energy investment banking firm. The firm has completed approximately 785 investment banking projects for its worldwide energy clients at a combined dollar value in excess of $140 billion.
Simmons was raised in Kaysville, Utah. He graduated cum laude from the University of Utah and received an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. He served on the faculty of Harvard Business School as a research associate for two years and was a doctoral candidate.
Simmons began a small investment bank/advisory firm in Boston. Among his early clients were several subsea service companies. By 1973, almost all of his clients were oil service companies. Following the 1973 Oil Shock, Simmons decided to create a Houston-based firm to concentrate on providing highest quality investment banking advice to the worldwide oil service industry. Over time, the specialization expanded into investment banking covering all aspects of the global energy industry.
SCI's offices are located in Houston, Texas; London, England; Boston, Massachusetts; Aberdeen, Scotland and Dubai, UAE.
The Ocean Energy Institute
In 2007, Simmons founded The Ocean Energy Institute in Mid-Coast Maine. The Institute's focus is to research and create renewable energy sources from all aspects of our oceans.
Simmons serves on The University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Foundation Board of Visitors (Houston) and is a trustee of the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences. In addition, he is past chairman of the National Ocean Industry Association.
Simmons is a past president of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association and a former member of the Visiting Committee of Harvard Business School. He is a member of the National Petroleum Council, Council on Foreign Relations and The Atlantic Council of the United States. He is a trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Island Institute and Farnsworth Art Museum in Maine.
Twilight in the Desert
Simmons' recently published book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy has been listed on the Wall Street Journal's best-seller list. He has also published numerous energy papers for industry journals and is a frequent speaker at government forums, energy symposiums and in boardrooms of many leading energy companies around the world.
He is married and has five daughters. His hobbies include watercolors, cooking, writing and travel.
The Lecture Series
The lecture series honors Paul D. Merrill, Portland-area business leader and long-time University of 51小黄车 trustee, supporter and friend, who died unexpectedly in 2007. The series creates an opportunity for future business leaders from the University and the broader community to learn about and reflect upon the important role that ethical considerations play in our daily choices, and the impact these choices have on our communities.