Maksim Sonin

Bio

Dr. Maksim Sonin is an energy executive and thought leader who drives strategic global investments and executes large-scale capital developments worth over $15B per project, from inception to operation across major sectors and geographies, from the Arctic to the Arabian Desert, with teams spanning 5 continents.

Dr. Sonin has held executive roles and served on the Boards of UCC (with a $10B+ capital projects portfolio), Silleno ($7B+ world-scale petrochemical complex, 1250 kta), KMG Petrochem ($2B+ gas treatment plant, 9 BCMA), and other organizations, focusing on humanitarian and global energy concerns. This includes leading the development of the world’s largest plants for producing ammonia and urea, with the highest capacity per train. He has worked with Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil in consortium venture and collaborated with other global players.

Holding an MS in Management from Stanford University as a Sloan Fellow, a PhD in Engineering, and an MS in Finance from different institutions, Dr.Sonin's academic achievements are further complemented by distinguished certifications in his field. He is a Projects Fellow at Stanford's Precourt Institute for Energy, an elected Fellow (FEI) of the Energy Institute (UK), and a member of both the Forbes Technology Council and the Stanford Hydrogen Initiative.

Recent / Coming speaking engagements:
• Global Hydrogen Leaders, S&P Global(May’24)
• Reuters Events, Energy (September’24)
• Stanford Ammonia Symposium (October ’24)
• Global Clean Hydrogen (November ’24)
• S&P Global, World Hydrogen (March ’25)
• Argus, Clean Ammonia (April ’25)
• 5th American Hydrogen Forum, Houston (May ’25)
• The Energy Projects, EPC Show (June ’25)
• Carbon Capture Technology Expo North America (June ’25)
• Hydrogen Technology North America Expo (June ’25)
• Green Hydrogen Summit, Seattle (September ’25
• Experience Power (EP) week, Denver. A POWER magazine Advisory Board Member (Oct-Nov ’25)
• Global Sustainable Energies. Milan. TBC
• American Data Centers & AI (November’ 25)

Selected interviews:
1. Nikkei BP (Savior of data centers, green hydrogen made from offshore wind power will save Japan's power shortage)
2. S&P Global ( Datacenters balancing sustainability goals with accelerating AI demand)
3. IBM (Can nuclear power fuel AI's growing energy needs?)
4. Power Magazine (Power Demand from Data Centres Keeping Coal-Fired Plants Online; Central Theme for Energy’s Future: Decentralizing Power Generation):
5. The Epoch Times (EIA Forecasts US Fuel Stockpiles Headed for 25-Year Low by 2026; AI Data Center Build-Out Raises Concerns About America’s Future Power Needs)
6. ReadWrite (How AI Will Soon Disrupt the Greater Energy Industry)
7. Mashable (Ammonia Could Play a Key Role In Creating a Low-Carbon Energy System)
8. Inc.com (Building a Sustainable Future: How Companies Can Make a Positive Impact
9. Investing.com (a Global, Low-Carbon Economy Isn’t as Far-Fetched as Many Might Think
10. International Business Times (Why Leaders Can't Be Afraid to Push Boundaries)
11. PMI PM Network (Cold Rush: Tapping the Arctic's Frozen Assets Starts with Navigating Extreme Risks)