Erika Osterling

Excited for the dialogue today with CHRO's across the Energy industry to collaborate on attracting and building workforce resilience for today and the future of Energy. This is an opportunity to learn and partner with each other to deliver care at scale for the incredible employees who enable us to meet energy demand in the US and globally. ONEOK's team of over 6,000 employees supports our 60,000-mile pipeline network, transporting natural gas, natural gas liquids, refined products, and crude oil to deliver the energy products the world needs. I look forward to engaging with ONEOK and industry colleagues in meaningful discussions about the future of energy. #CERAWeek2026

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BOARD MEMBERS: Here is a leadership lesson on succession planning from an unlikely place: The death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, didn’t eliminate the organization. It destabilized it. Power vacuums triggered internal competition and external opportunism. Extreme example. Universal lesson. Succession isn’t about replacing one CEO. It’s about protecting the enterprise. When transitions aren’t clear: • Decision-making slows • Talent fractures • Competitors move • Stakeholder confidence drops And this applies to every critical role to include: CEO, CFO, COO, business unit heads, technical leaders, and key client owners. Boards and executive teams should ask: • Do we have ready-now successors for all mission-critical roles? • Have we pressure-tested emergency transitions? • Are we over-reliant on any single personality? •Is our leadership pipeline deep enough to prevent disruption? Succession planning is not an annual exercise. It’s continuous risk management. Organizations don’t break when leaders leave. They break when leadership gaps aren’t planned for.

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#AgeInclusion Isn’t Just a Diversity Buzz-Word—It’s a Strategic Lever I recently read the HBR piece “Age Inclusion Is Your Company’s Next Competitive Advantage.” It makes a compelling case for unlocking value through generational diversity. But as I reflect on the points my friend Jacqueline Freeman has raised—especially around subtle age-bias, career-pathing for older employees and inter-generational skilling—I’d like to add a few next-level reflections: 1. Experience as a Strategic Asset – beyond mentoring: Companies should map “institutional memory gaps”, capturing tacit knowledge, embedding it into digital/learning platforms, and then leveraging it proactively in scenario-planning (not just passively relying on older staff to coach younger ones). Ask: When older employees leave or retire, what knowledge exits with them? Answer: Build a “knowledge continuity plan” where age inclusion isn’t just about the person still being there, but about systems retaining their value. 2. Career-path redesign for “seasoned talent”: Jacqueline has pointed out how many companies still equate mid-career upward mobility with youth and newness—but seasoned professionals can bring different trajectories: part-time high-impact roles, project-based senior experts, “returnships”. Build parallel career tracks (e.g., senior subject-matter expert track, phased retirement + ambassador track) instead of “one size fits all”. Retain leadership depth, reduce loss of continuity, reinforce commitment of older staff whose next move might otherwise be exit. 3. Age-inclusive innovation by design: Design innovation sprints where age diversity is required—e.g., pairing a Gen Z coder with a Boomers-era product strategist. And measure the impact: fewer blind-spots, more inclusive product design, expanded market reach. 4. Bias audits for ageism—visible, measurable, actionable: Jacqueline’s posts often mention how subtle bias (“you’re too old to learn this new tool”) goes unchecked. Implement “age-inclusion scorecards” (just like gender/race D&I metrics): track promotion rates, training access, lateral mobility, exit rates by age band. Then embed age-inclusion into leadership KPIs. 5. Leverage reverse-learning and the “wise beginner” mindset: Promote “wise beginners” — older employees intentionally placed into new-technology or new-business-model roles with the explicit expectation to unlearn + learn. 6. External brand and talent-market advantage: Companies that visibly demonstrate age-inclusive cultures attract a broader talent pool. Treat age‐inclusion as part of employer branding. Showcase stories of seasoned hires, lateral role switchers in their 50s/60s, etc. Key takeaway: Age inclusion isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a differentiator. #MultigenerationalWorkforce #InclusiveLeadership #TalentStrategy #WorkforceInnovation #CareerPathing #ReverseMentoring #DeliberateInclusion #EmployerBranding #BusinessAdvantage

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In PE-backed companies, ambiguity is expensive. When success is not defined clearly, performance becomes political. Executives optimize for narrative instead of outcomes. Boards debate tone instead of trajectory. Ambiguous success criteria allow underperformance to persist without accountability. What does “good” look like in 12 months? What must change? What must stop? What trade-offs are acceptable? These questions feel confrontational, so they are often deferred. Deferral creates drift. Executives rarely fail outright in PE. They underperform expectations while appearing busy. That underperformance compounds across initiatives, acquisitions, and talent decisions. Clear success criteria do not constrain ambition. They protect it. If success cannot be articulated clearly before hiring, it will be contested endlessly after. #WeAreEastward #CareerCapital

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New and incoming CEOs often find themselves unprepared for the intense demands of internal and external stakeholder engagement. My colleagues, Carolyn Dewar, Blair Epstein and Eric Sherman, will discuss our new article, which outlines an approach to mastering this critical aspect of leadership: fostering an expanded view of the CEO's role, developing a distinctive personal narrative, cultivating a growth-oriented mindset to empower teams, and maintaining an engaged posture to build strong connections. If you'd like to request an invite: https://lnkd.in/eWJ9KMe6 #CEO #Leadership #CEO4AllSeasons #McKinsey #McK

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Throughout the past 35+ years of my career, transformation has been a constant driver of both my personal and professional growth. Early on, I realized that staying static, even when I felt like things were going well, would hold me back. I didn’t always know where each step would lead, but I knew that continuous learning and improvement would open up new doors and opportunities.   Here are a few practical ideas that have helped me in my journey that you might find helpful as you evaluate your own goals and objectives.   • Become a student for life: Never stop learning. Expand your knowledge and skills continuously. • Embrace discomfort: Take on projects that stretch your capabilities. • Develop a knowledge network: Engage with peers and mentors to learn from their experiences. • Harness technology: Learn how the latest tools, including AI, can give you an advantage.   Transformation can be challenging, but it can also lead to excitement and fulfillment. Remember, if you want to drive transformation in the organization, you have to first learn to embrace it as an individual.   For an even deeper dive into how the principles of transformation, innovation and creative destruction can guide you in whatever it is you're pursuing, read the full article I wrote for our "Koch Talks" series: https://lnkd.in/g3-cr-yP

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This new piece from my colleague Wes Hart breaks down how incentive design is evolving across oilfield services and E&P companies and what boards should be thinking about for 2026.

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Dr. Lee Hutchinson Eaton SAKS International Group Marcus Potter In today’s job market, especially the GCC even the most accomplished senior leaders are struggling with Visibility or making meaningful relationships. Not because they lack experience or results but because their story, visibility, and positioning no longer cut through. Boards, investors, and talent teams are filtering talent through narrative, behaviour, and signal strength, not job titles alone. What we do deliver helps 700+ leader's per month? We help senior leaders reposition with clarity, credibility, and commercial impact: Craft a distinctive Executive Brand grounded in authenticity, behavioural evidence, and measurable outcomes. Deliver the NeuroScope 360° Executive Assessment, providing deep behavioural insight, strengths, blind spots, and leadership risk signals using a Harvard-certified framework trusted by over 70% of Fortune 500 decision-makers. How the journey works with Eaton SAKS International Group Stage 1 Insight & Self-Awareness: Your journey begins with the NeuroScope 360° Executive Assessment, followed by a bespoke brand consultation led by our Leaders. This phase establishes behavioural truth, leadership patterns, and how you are perceived versus how you believe you show up. This is not a Psychometeic! Stage 2 – Challenge & Positioning: The second stage is led by Dr. Lee Hutchinson and our senior leadership team. Here, we rigorously challenge your career highlights, decision history, and transformation stories cutting through surface-level achievements to define a sharp, credible executive framework that resonates with boards and investors. Stage 3 – Narrative & Precision Delivery: The final stage is delivered by Michelle Camm and her team, all ex-BCG and P&G alumni. This is where precision meets craftsmanship. Your executive bio, career narrative, and digital presence are refined with depth, structure, and clarity What you receive: You will receive a complete executive transition suite, designed to create immediate impact in the market: A 1-page digital CV for senior decision-makers A 3-page executive CV overview with strategic depth A full executive bio and narrative report, tailored to your target exposure A NeuroScope 360° summary report, focused on core behaviours and leadership signals A fully designed executive pack, integrating CV, bio, and NeuroScope insights A fully analysed and revamped LinkedIn profile, built for visibility and influence An AI- and ATS-optimised LinkedIn and executive profile, aligned with modern talent intelligence systems at up to 98% accuracy The outcome: This is not CV writing. It is executive repositioning. We help senior leaders regain control of their narrative, stand out in a saturated market, and compete at the top end. Titles, Company Brand and loyalty is not enough anymore. We deliver substance and transformational success stories. Be better than the 99% lee@eatonsaks.com

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👉 Should you keep a poker face or be an open book in negotiation? Neither. Hiding everything stalls deals. Revealing everything costs you leverage. The real skill is disciplined transparency: sharing your value-drivers while protecting your BATNA. In my latest column, I break down the 3 negotiation styles: Poker-Face, Open-Book, and Strategic Transparency—and why only one consistently creates stronger relationships and better deals. https://lnkd.in/geiZxdmM

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UK-based Deep, an ocean engineering and technology firm, has acquired a facility in Houston to launch its US additive manufacturing businesses. The factory is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026 and is expected to employ 30 workers by the end of next year. Deep is committing $100 million to U.S. investment, which includes the Houston factory. #houston #hiring #houstonjobs

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We surveyed 250 board directors and chief executives to understand their approach to today's risks. From this study, five key trends have surfaced regarding leadership and risk management. Explore the insights here: [Link to the article](https://lnkd.in/giayAJzT) #Leadership #RiskManagement #BusinessInsights

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When I think about the conversations that matter most in the boardroom right now, they all come back to one thing: Talent. Human capital now sits at the center of strategy, culture, and long-term value creation. For boards this shows up as questions like: - Do we have a clear, actionable succession plan for the CEO and key leadership roles? - Are we building a strong, diverse talent bench two layers down? - What is our culture really enabling or getting in the way of? - How are AI and technology reshaping roles? In my view, talent oversight works best when these questions are frequently on the board’s agenda. When boards regularly connect human capital to business outcomes, they are better positioned to manage risk, support leadership, and sustain the culture employees experience every day. How often does your board spend time on talent beyond updates on compensation or headcount metrics?

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