Mr. Banister is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Aera Energy LLC, an oil and gas exploration and production company jointly owned by Shell Oil Company and ExxonMobil; he served from 2007 to 2015. Prior to Aera Energy, Mr. Banister served in various executive leadership positions at Shell Oil, including Vice President, Upstream Asia Pacific and Vice President, Upstream Americas, overseeing drilling and development activities; Vice President, Business Development and Technology; and President USA and Executive Vice President of Shell Services EP Gas and Power. Mr. Banister joined Shell Oil in 1980 as an offshore facilities engineer.
Mr. Banister serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Russell Reynolds Associates, a private leadership advisory and search firm. He also serves on the board of trustees of American University in Washington D.C., and the foundation board of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Mr. Banister is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Different Points of View, a private firm that provides advisory services in the areas of leadership and safety. He mentors and serves as an advisor to start-ups in the energy and technology space.
Mr. Banister brings significant global business and leadership expertise as former Chief Executive Officer of one of California’s largest oil and gas producers and through his public company board experience. He has a strong background in engineering and the energy sector, and provides valuable perspective in strategic planning, public policy, climate related matters, information technology, marketing and brand management, enterprise risk management, and operational excellence, all of which are relevant to Dow’s business operations. Mr. Banister has an established record for advocacy of inclusion, diversity and equity objectives.
Mr. Banister serves on the Enbridge Inc. Board of Directors (since 2021). He served on the Board of Directors of Tyson Foods from 2011 to 2022, the Bristow Group from 2017 to 2019, and Marathon Oil from 2015 to 2018.