BATON ROUGE — Future Use of Energy in Louisiana announced two new leaders to its industry board on Wednesday. 

Chris Johnson, vice president of oilfield services and equipment at Baker Hughes, will act as chair of the Industry Advisory Board. Ben André, director of advanced manufacturing at Worley, will serve as vice chair. 

The Industry Advisory Board advises FUEL on industry needs, business research, technology development and commercialization and workforce development. As IAB chair and vice chair, Johnson and André will also serve as members of FUEL’s Governance Board.

Johnson has spent 20 years at energy tech firm Baker Hughes. He began his career as an engineer, later advancing to leadership positions across the Americas, Europe and the Caspian region. 

André has more than 20 years of experience across engineering and business development. At Worley, he works across energy, infrastructure and industrial projects. Before becoming vice chair, André served as a member of the IAB. 

"Chris and Ben bring decades of industry experience and a strong understanding of the opportunities ahead for Louisiana's energy sector," Michael Mazzola, FUEL CEO and executive director, said. "Industry perspective is critical to keeping FUEL's work aligned with real-world needs, and their leadership will strengthen the connections between FUEL’s research, technology commercialization, and workforce development activities and industry partners."

FUEL is supported by funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines program and Louisiana Economic Development.