Carina Antweil

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Raised internationally in an energy industry family, Carina Antweil embarked upon her career as a deal lawyer at Baker Botts, which she describes as “a true partner to the oil and gas industry.” Antweil managed a busy workload as an associate while caring for two young children at home, yet still achieved her goal of promotion to partner at 34, making her the firm’s youngest partner at that time. She manages a department of more than 40 lawyers with this approach: “Above all else, being prepared to pivot at any given moment in our ever-changing industry is imperative.” 

What keeps you motivated and passionate about working in the oil and gas industry?

I am motivated by the challenges facing the oil and gas industry today and inspired to contribute to the challenge of balancing energy transition with energy stability. Society needs more energy than ever before, and the challenges that come with this place intense pressure on all of us to achieve results in a manner that is more environmentally responsible.

What are your long- and short-term career goals?

I want to contribute to the industry in a meaningful way, primarily by assisting my clients in the oil and gas industry as they aim to solve the most pressing issues facing their customers and our society at large. This will be both a short-term and long-term goal of mine, though time is of the essence in our industry.

 What professional and/or personal advice would you give other young professionals in the industry?

Be ready to learn. Our industry is changing faster than anyone could have imagined, and that creates big opportunities for anyone who would like to participate and contribute to the energy transition. Enthusiasm and grit will take you far.

 Which transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?

I think there will need to be many technological innovations in the industry in order to meet the energy demands of our future. I think many of these technological advances are already underway. I also think there will need to be overwhelming buy-in that diversity and inclusion is essential to the future of the industry. We are well on our way to getting there, but there is still much work to be done on the DEI front. We need diverse perspectives participating in the industry in order for it to thrive.

 What do you think young industry members (those under 40) as a group have to offer that is unique to them? 

I believe this is a group of young, motivated, thoughtful leaders, all ready to engage together to solve tomorrow’s energy challenges. It is unusual to find this kind of energy (pun intended!) and we should capitalize on it. We are more thoughtful about the impact of our industry on our globe than those who came before us, which brings a different perspective to the table. It is no longer taboo to want to produce energy in an environmentally responsible manner.

Take a look at the rest of the Forty Under 40 2024 winners.