Baker Hughes Inc. Executive Chairman Chad Deaton and Hess Corp. Executive Vice President Greg Hill are new members of the University of Wyoming Foundation Board of Directors.
“We are very happy to welcome Chad and Greg to our board,” says Greg Dyekman, outgoing chair of the UW Foundation Board and future emeritus board member. “Their level of engagement is already high, and their willingness and desire to serve actively bodes well for the foundation and for UW. They both bring very strong records of accomplishment and leadership to the work of the foundation as it seeks to help transform our university through private giving.”
“The UW Foundation takes great pride in its partnership with the energy industry,” says Ben Blalock, UW Foundation president. “Chad and Greg are two distinguished UW alumni, and the UW Foundation board is honored to have Chad and Greg join our leadership team. As internationally recognized leaders, Chad and Greg will further enhance UW’s commitment to excellence in teaching and research in the field of energy.”
Since Deaton joined Baker Hughes in 2004, he has served as executive chairman, chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Fortune 500 company Baker Hughes is the world’s third largest oil field service company, with more than 58,000 employees in more than 90 countries and annual revenues in excess of $20 billion.
Before working at Baker Hughes, Deaton served as president, director and chief executive officer of Hanover Compressor Co. from 2002–04, and he spent 24 years with Schlumberger Oilfield Services and the Dowell Division of Dow Chemical Co. Deaton is a UW College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumnus, and the World Affairs Council of Houston recognized him as the Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones International Citizen 2012.
Active in numerous charitable organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, Deaton has been deeply involved with making a positive difference in the lives of young people through Junior Achievement, a privately funded non-profit organization that uses hands-on, real-world experiences to teach young people the economics of life. A native of Byron, Deaton earned a bachelor of science degree in geology from UW. He and his wife, Liz, have three daughters -- Angie, Kristen, and Jami -- and seven grandchildren. They split their time between homes in Houston and Jackson Hole.
“My wife and I are both UW graduates and, after years of living and working around the world, we are looking forward to returning to Wyoming,” says Deaton. “It’s an honor to have this opportunity to serve on the University of Wyoming's Foundation Board.”
Hill is executive vice president and president of exploration and production for Hess Corp., a global integrated energy company based in New York City. He joined Hess in January 2009 from Shell, where he spent more than 25 years in a variety of operations, engineering, technical and business leadership roles in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States.
As executive vice president for exploration and production of Singapore-based Shell Asia Pacific, Hill worked in the Philippines, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. As vice president of production for Shell E&P Europe, he led company-operated assets in the U.K., Norway and the Netherlands from a base in Aberdeen, Scotland. Earlier in his career, he served in numerous other leadership roles in strategy and planning, government relations, operations and technology in Houston and California. Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UW.
“As a Wyoming native and a UW graduate, it is an honor to serve on the UW Foundation Board,” Hill says. “I am anxious to give back and contribute in a positive way to the future of the university as it has been such a key enabler to my own success.”
Both Deaton and Hill are among industry leaders appointed by Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead to the Wyoming Governor’s Energy, Engineering, STEM Integration Task Force. The co-chairs of the task force are former Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Deaton. The task force will guide the state’s efforts in building a tier-one College of Engineering and Applied Science at UW.
The UW Foundation has been a dynamic partner with the University of Wyoming for 50 years, enhancing excellence and distinction at UW by securing private resources, delivering superior stewardship and creating enduring relationships with all who share pride in Wyoming's university. Through the generosity of UW’s many alumni and friends, the UW Foundation raises an average of $38 million a year in private support. The money goes to students and the faculty, staff and programs that support them.
