Annually, the SPE Distinguished Lecturer Committee (DLC) convenes three times to judge and discuss potential Distinguished Lecturer nominees (PLs). Initially, following a month of online judging of individual assessments by the entire DLC of all nominees’ (typically over a hundred) submitted material, a hybrid in-person/virtual session takes place immediately following the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston in May. At this meeting, the final short list of nominees is discussed in detail and evaluated. These finalists, normally between 50 and 60 PLs, must then deliver their lecture in person at one of two presentation review (PR) meetings, one in each hemisphere. This is a short summary of the 2026 Eastern Hemisphere (EH) PR meeting in Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, 23 to 25 September.
2026 Eastern Hemisphere Presentation Review Meeting Venue
Preceding years had featured EH PR meetings at PETROM in Bucharest, Woodside Energy in Perth, Saipem/Eni in Milan, and PTTEP in Bangkok. Originally, this meeting had been arranged in Muscat, Oman, thanks to the hospitality of Occidental Petroleum. However, because of uncertainty in the Middle East, the meeting was relocated several months in advance to KL, due in part to the generosity of Petronas, Malaysia's national oil company.
KL is a popular choice since the Bahrain Formula 1 race was also moved to the Sepang Circuit near KL 1 week after this PR meeting (so thankfully hotel rooms were still affordable!). PLs are encouraged, where possible, to attend the PR meeting in the same hemisphere where they reside, but some desire to combine the advantages of attending the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (ATCE) with participation in a PR meeting. The recent venue change slightly affected attendance among both DLCs and PLs, leading to my invitation for an encore performance after stepping down at the end of 2025.
Welcome Reception
The format of PR meetings has followed a similar pattern for decades: a Wednesday evening reception followed by 1–2 days of presentation reviews, culminating with a final closed-door analysis of all the PLs' performance by those DLC members in attendance. This entire PR meeting was held at the Crowne Plaza KL City Center Hotel.
The reception venue was the Merbau Ballroom, which has extremely high ceilings and an impressive Malaysian rainforest-inspired design, including large decorative chandeliers, a feature mural wall, and built-in LED display walls. The principal function of the reception is as an “icebreaker,” allowing the PLs to engage with the DLC. In fact, during my time on the DLC leadership, I would always encourage PLs to treat the reception as a “speed-dating” exercise and to try to meet as many of the DLC as possible—that way, the following day when the PLs delivered their presentations, many of the DLC judges in the audience would hopefully be familiar faces, facilitating a more relaxed experience. A sound theory, which didn’t always play out in practice.
DLC Vice Chair Reza Fassihi welcomed attendees, supported by Ding Zhu in his ex officio role. Later, I was asked, also as an ex officio member, to introduce Hazli Sham Kassim, CEO of Petronas Carigali and SVP Upstream Assets Malaysia, representing Petronas. The DLC is also keen for officers from the local SPE section to attend, so we were delighted on this occasion that the SPE Kuala Lumpur Section sent a strong delegation: Tengku Rasidi Othman (KL Section vice chair), Salihah Hashimah (secretary), and Shahir Adnan (treasurer), not only establishing new relationships but refreshing some legacy acquaintances.
Over the 2 hours of animated conversations, we enjoyed a fine selection of Malaysian canapes and refreshments. Afterward, as I’d been absent from the DLC for a year, a few of us indulged in a nightcap at the nearby W Hotel’s Wet Deck, which never fails to impress with its mesmerizing night views of the Petronas Twin Towers.
Meeting Proceedings
Thursday morning began with a briefing for the PLs to advise them about the presentation reviews and the exact procedures. A separate briefing for the DLC beforehand helped ensure everyone was refreshed on the practices and any updates to the judging process. One of the most critical challenges is time and staying on track. Following the 30-minute presentation by a PL, there is a 15-minute Q&A by the DLC present (just like a real section technical meeting), followed by approximately 5–10 minutes of feedback, positive and negative, which can include anything from font size, overly busy slides, or specific gestures. That leaves only around 5 minutes between presentations, leaving little time to grab a coffee, use the restroom, or make a quick phone call. At this meeting, two rooms ran in parallel, each reviewing six PLs, with one room focused primarily on reservoir topics and the other on the remaining SPE disciplines.
PLs are welcome to observe other presentations, but not ask questions. In between the morning and afternoon judging sessions, the DLC and PLs enjoyed a sit-down lunch together at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Merchants. The menu astonishingly included Irish stew, so the chef is now my new best friend in Malaysia. Lunch was followed by a 30-minute presentation, “Experiences as a DL,” by DLC member, Waldemar Szemat Vielma, a former DL. The session provided an important preview of the rewards and challenges of life on the road, where section audiences can range from as few as 10 attendees to as many as 300. This also allows other DLC members to catch up on their online judging in the OpenWater portal, as it is important to keep scoring, comments, and overall assessments as current as possible throughout the review meeting. A DLC group photo is always compulsory—since I was in Malaysia with only Batiks for a family wedding, I identified a PL with a suitably colored suit and borrowed his jacket; sorry though, no extra points!
A PL Perspective
What follows is the perspective of a PL who participated in this year's review meeting in KL this year and who will remain anonymous.
“Once selected to participate in the final qualification round, each PL was assigned two members of the DLC (known as point of contacts or POCs) to assist with preparing a 30-minute presentation to be delivered to the judging panel in KL.
The selection round in KL was both rewarding and enjoyable. The experience began the evening before the presentations, when the PLs had the opportunity to meet the DLC members and fellow candidates and got to know one another in a relaxed setting before the main event.
The following morning, the rules and selection process were explained, along with some useful guidelines for the presentations. It was then up to each PL to showcase their technical expertise, communication skills, and ability to engage the audience and judging panel.
At this level, the standard of all the presentations was exceptionally high. Each PL brought a wealth of technical knowledge and experience, combined with a unique perspective and presentation style. I suspect the judging committee will have a challenging task in selecting the few individuals who will have the privilege of representing SPE as ambassadors during the 2027–2028 DL Season.
Regardless of the outcome, the PR meeting was a valuable professional experience. The opportunity to work closely with experienced DLC members, exchange ideas with fellow PLs, and present to a highly respected judging panel provided an excellent learning experience and a memorable insight into the SPE DL selection process.”
DLC Dinner
A customary part of every PR meeting is that on Thursday evening, the DLC, some accompanied by their partners, as well as the SPE DL management team (this year, Mel Rehl from Dallas), enjoy a dinner together, generally local food, offering a rare opportunity for committee members to truly relax during the 3 days.
Nestled in a tranquil corner away from the bustling streets of Changkat Bukit Bintang, Bijan serves as an oasis for diners, offering exquisite Malay cuisine in a refined setting, with brightly painted walls adorned with tropical flowers. The array of Malaysian food was outstanding, and several of us took photos in the restaurant's private “Obama Room," named for a visit by former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who dined with Julia Roberts in December 2019. It was yet another memorable DLC dinner.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The final day, Friday, was unusually short this year, with only one PL presentation scheduled for Friday morning. Then the DLC reviewed and discussed each candidate individually, particularly if there were any major concerns and, occasionally, to investigate any high standard deviation in the scoring. Another 36 candidates were judged at the Western Hemisphere PR Meeting in Houston immediately following ATCE, after which all PLs were combined into a single list. Since only six of the DLC in KL would be present in Houston for ATCE, it was critical to record detailed comments about the candidates who presented in Malaysia. Only then, the final list of DLs for 2027–2028 will be discussed, agreed, and confirmed, not solely based on ranking, but also taking into consideration technical discipline, geographic origin, gender, organization type, and employer. After these typically intensive PR meetings, some DLC take a welcome break locally or in an adjacent country, whilst others jump on a flight home immediately as they need to return to work.
These PR meetings are a fundamental phase in the DL program, which continues to deliver a proven track record of success to SPE members through in-person DL talks to all sections globally. We sorely missed DLC Chair Ilaria de Santo and SPE DL Program Manager Diane Gillis, both unable to travel, and appreciated the vital support of Hanna-Rose Abdul Jalil from the SPE KL Office. Terima kasih to all DLC who participated, and semoga berjaya to all of the PLs.
If you are interested in being nominated by a colleague or acquaintance for the 2028–2029 DL Season, nominations are through 1 March 2027. For more information about the program, to submit a nomination, or to express interest in serving on the DLC, visit the SPE Distinguished Lecturer Program or contact the SPE DL team at dl@spe.org.
