EMBA in Energy Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Hewitt

Kelly Hewitt earned her EMBA in Energy in 2019 as a member of Cohort 10. She is principal energy specialist for the Central West Asia Department (Central West Energy) of the Asian Development Bank in Manila, Philippines. 

How has earning your EMBA affected your career?  

Earning an EMBA from OU helped me to embrace leadership opportunity with deliberate purpose. Before completing my EMBA, I took my career and successes for granted. My circle of inclusion of ideas and perspective grew immensely because of my OU EMBA studies.  

I commenced work in the energy sector as a young economist working in downstream natural gas. Almost immediately, I saw the nexus between economics and law/policy in effectuating company competition and success. I entered law school while working full-time because I was determined that the law and economic nexus in energy was where I needed to be. After succeeding as an energy lawyer, I grew bored and expanded my horizons to international developing and emerging energy markets.  

As a young woman, I wanted to improve lives. I held a dream of working in an international financial institution (IFI). That opportunity arose in August 2011. I exchanged one passion for another – joining the Asian Development Bank in Manila Philippines. International development replaced my energy law and economic nexus. Yet, energy sector activity sat firmly at the margins of my new career nexus. 

As my career drifted deeper into corporate management and away from energy sector operations, I searched for ways to hold on and to keep abreast of the latest transformative energy sector laws, policies, and innovations. Through an online search, I found OU’s Energy EMBA. The program and curriculum were perfect for what I needed – providing me with the latest global perspectives and core energy sector issues. Consistent with that global perspective and because my work is international, I most enjoyed the international component of OU’s EMBA in Amsterdam and London. 

After completing my EMBA, I moved back into energy operations. As the result of my OU EMBA and my past energy sector experience, I no longer wonder about what I may be missing or may have missed in energy sector happenings around the world. Because of my EMBA from OU, I have been able to merge my passions for international development in an IFI with energy sector law and economics. 

My OU EMBA has enabled me to stop asking “what am I missing?” and instead, ask – “what’s next and right for me?” In today’s market, there is a great deal of change and uncertainty. Letting go of the past is important to embracing future opportunity. The OU EMBA provides individuals strength and confidence to move forward with an open mind. 

I remain committed to improving lives. And, I am finally comfortable with taking on further opportunity to serve in corporate administrative leadership roles. I no longer take my career and successes for granted. I live my life with purpose and deliberateness – remaining open to the newness of “what is next.”