Kamalpreet Kaur: Energizing the World

The UH business alumna is a shining example of a new generation of leaders shaping the future of energy.

By Rashda Khan

What she’s doing now: A recent University of Houston graduate, Kamalpreet Kaur (B.B.A. ’19) is the commercial leader for low carbon solutions, CCUS and hydrogen at NOV Inc., a company that offers technology-driven solutions to empower the global energy industry. She oversees the strategic aspects of business development in the low carbon space, helps track technological advancements and develops new initiatives. Kaur also serves on the UH Energy Coalition’s new advisory board to help foster energy conversations between UH students, alumni and industry professionals.

What she thought she’d be doing: Growing up, Kaur enjoyed reading about successful business leaders and decided early on to pursue a business-focused career. At UH, she double majored in management information systems and marketing at UH’s renowned C. T. Bauer College of Business. “I was more focused on data and the impact it has on our decisions and strategy as well as marketing,” she says. “Energy was an industry that I had initially never really considered.”

How UH opened her mind to the energy sector: Kaur connected with the UH Energy Coalition. The energy-focused student organization has more than 5,000 members — making it the largest such organization in the nation. She found herself attending insightful energy-related seminars, being invited to energy events and meeting industry experts, which led to being mentored by UH and industry leaders. She credits the organization for leading her to a career she is passionate about.

How her generation shapes her point of view: Kaur says growing up as part of a technologically advanced generation that values environmental stewardship — and having lived through the COVID-19 pandemic and the Texas grid failure during the 2021 winter storm — makes her passionate about her work. “There is a sense of social responsibility and purpose that the energy transition brings,” she says.

Her advice to UH students: “Opportunities are not going to come to you. You must go after them.”

Kamalpreet Kaur is the host of the “Wired In: The New Age of Connectivity” podcast. Listen to the latest episode.

“I always thought oil and gas was pretty much all engineer-focused until I realized that, like any industry, it has multiple aspects to it. The key is to find your place in it so you can do work and have a positive impact on the world.”