Top 50 Rising Stars 2021 continued (in alphabetical order by CVC unit): Tyler Durham, venture principal, Schlumberger New Energy
Tyler Durham is a venture principal at US-based oil services provider Schlumberger (SLB)’s New Energy division, which partners and invests in low-carbon and carbon-neutral energy technology developers.
Arindam Bhattacharya, director of SLB Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) and New Energy, said of Durham: “Tyler is always leading from the front with strategic thinking, strong business acumen and a solid foundation in technology and operations. He has built a strong network in the CVC world through his initiative, and also uses his internal network very effectively to support our portfolio companies.”
Durham joined SLB in 2006, having most recently worked on the deployment of SLB’s Digital Transformation programme and the accompanying organisational design.
He said: “Our fund is part of SLB’s New Energy Group which was announced in [the second quarter of] 2020. I report up to SLB’s long-time chief technology officer and now executive vice-president of New Energy, Ashok Belani. The CVC group was instrumental in the formation of the New Energy Group and now forms a cornerstone of the company’s work in the energy transition.”
Durham said CVC presented an opportunity to engage with startups on the cutting edge of technology and help bridge the gap to the tried and true business practices that have made the parent successful.
“CVC is often the best of both worlds where partnerships create value,” he said. “Playing an integral role through investment and technology sourcing to kick off SLB’s New Energy group has been our greatest success.
“The window we created into how our core research, technology and personnel could support startups and create new sources of revenue was instrumental in the group’s formation. Early investments such as GHG Sat, CelluForce, Molyworks, PolyPlus, Pure Energy Minerals and Wirescan have all supported the thesis that SLB’s expertise can be leveraged to support and develop technology and revenue streams in the new energy economy.”
