“I need people around me who are going to tell me when I’m wrong and explain why. That’s the only way an organization stays healthy.”
Dr. Maria Angela Capello and Dr. Liz Coffey sit down with Ken Tubman, Chairman of SAExploration and President of PPA Resources, to explore what truly defines effective leadership. Drawing on decades of experience in the energy sector and beyond, Ken shares candid stories about executive presence, the importance of listening, and the role of coaching in shaping leaders. His insights offer practical wisdom for both seasoned executives and ambitious professionals preparing for the top.
Key takeaways
Great leaders balance confidence with humility and always make space for opposing views.
No one has every skill, so the smartest leaders build teams that complement their own strengths and weaknesses.
Asking the right questions often matters more than having the right answers.
Next step: Reflect on your leadership style and ask yourself: are you truly listening to the people around you?
About Ken
Kenneth M. (Ken) Tubman is Chairman of the Board at SAExploration and President of PPA Resources, a strategic advisory for start-ups and established companies. He has held senior positions at multiple oil and gas companies, including ConocoPhillips, Marathon Oil and Veritas DGC. He is an active member of a number of professional societies and organizations, serving on multiple committees and boards. He earned a PhD in geophysics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1984 and a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Massachusetts in 1978.
Uplevel Your Career
Connect with MAC at https://www.redtreeconsultingllc.com/.
Connect with Liz at https://www.sparkleadership.co.uk/.
About the Hosts
Dr. Maria Angela Capello (MAC) is the President of Red Tree Consulting LLC and a distinguished leader in the energy sector. She spearheads initiatives in sustainability, diversity and inclusion (D&I), and geosciences.
MAC has held prominent roles at Kuwait Oil Company, Halliburton, and Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). The Italian Government has honored her with the “Star of Italy” knighthood, and UNESCO has endorsed her work, publishing her report “Geosciences in Action - Advancing Sustainable Development.”
MAC was recently conferred the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Lifetime Achievement Award for Diversity and Inclusion. Author of more than 107 technical articles and four books, Capello earned her PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from the University of Plymouth (UK) in 2024, an MSc in Geophysics from the Colorado School of Mines (USA), and a BSc in Physics from Simon Bolivar University (Venezuela).
Dr. Elizabeth Coffey (Liz), Founder of Spark Leadership Ltd, is an internationally recognized leadership expert, lecturer, and author who develops CEOs, CEO Successors, and Board Executives of FTSE 100 and Global 500 companies. She has coached CEOs and their successors in a wide range of businesses and sectors.
Previously a Senior Partner in Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Talent Consultancy, Liz held senior positions with Mercer Delta Consulting and The Change Partnership. In 2022-23, she was a Distinguished Lecturer for SPE, speaking to thousands of leaders across the energy sector in more than 50 countries about “How CEOs Lead for Success.”Liz has written several leadership books, including McGraw Hill's “10 Things That Keep CEOs Awake – and How to Put Them to Bed” (2002), Deutsche Bank's “The End of Tolerance?” (2001), and “The Changing Culture of Leadership – Women Leaders’ Voices” (1999).
Liz has received many awards over the past two decades, including an Honourary Doctorate (2024), Woman Super Achiever (2018), Mentor of the Year (2007), and the European Woman of Achievement Award (2001). She has worked in more than 40 countries, including extensively in several GCC countries.