As the president of Transversal Consulting, current projects include guiding businesses in various industries on the confluence of energy markets and geopolitics. I write a weekly column on geopolitics and the energy markets at investing.com, which is translated into multiple languages and regularly to contribute to various other publications, including Bloomberg, the Hill and Barrons. I am also a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center.
Recent Book on the History of Aramco and Saudi Arabia:
“Saudi, Inc.” presents the history of Saudi Arabia through the central figure of Aramco, the oil company that brought riches, success, and regional dominance to the ruling family, al Saud. Now Saudi Aramco prepares to launch its much-anticipated IPO, expected to be the largest in history with a possible valuation of up to $2 trillion. The Kingdom is also embarking on a massive investment in its Vision2030 plan for economic diversification; the rebirth of an economic and diplomatic relationship with the U.S. worth hundreds of billions of dollars in investment in both directions; and preparation by the next generation to take leadership positions in the Kingdom – transforming society, business, and the state. Order here: 
Listen to a podcast about “Saudi, Inc.” from the Atlantic:
Bio:
I grew up just outside of Philadelphia. I earned an A.B. magna cum laude in history from Princeton University with specialties in Near Eastern studies and creative writing. As a graduate student at Boston University, I studied the American and Middle-Eastern energy industries with both an economist and a foreign relations specialist. I have conducted significant research on geopolitics and energy markets at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming, the National Archives, the British Petroleum Archives, and the British National Archives. My dissertation was entitled, “The United States, Great Britain and the Middle-Eastern Oil Industry, 1945-1960.”
Select Columns:
- “Climate Policies Could Hand Power and Profits Back to OPEC,” Foreign Policy, June 16, 2021
- “Green Energy Solutions Start at Factory Gates,” Bloomberg, May 17, 2021
- “Debanking Hurts Everyone,” Barron’s, January 8, 2021
- “‘ESG’ may be popular but it could hurt your retirement portfolio,” The Hill, July 28, 2020.
- “The Oil Recovery May Be Complicated. Here Are the 3 Stages to Expect,” Barron’s, May 27, 2020
- “What Saudi Arabia Can Do to Lead Again on Oil,” Bloomberg, April 23, 2020
- “The United States and Saudi Arabia aren’t allies. They never have been.” The Washington Post, February 5, 2020
- “What to Know Before Buying Shares in Saudi Arabia’s Oil Company,” New York Times, November 6, 2019
Energy Week Podcast:
Selected Public Speaking Engagements:
- “Surprising Empowerment: How the Global Energy Industry Struggled with Gender Enlightenment and Created Opportunity for Women in the Gulf,” Bahrain
- “Iran Sanctions, OPEC & Trump: Where are oil markets moving?” Istanbul, Turkey
- “Writing the History of Saudi Arabia’s Energy Industry,” Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- “Saudi, Inc. The Arabian Kingdom’s Pursuit of Profit and Power,” New York
- “Beyond the Texas Railroad Commission: Thirty Years of American Precedent for OPEC,” Abu Dhabi
- “A New Oil Frontier: How the United States Built Saudi Arabia’s Oil Industry,” Wyoming
- “Petroleum, Pipelines, Politics: The Fate of the Northern-Tier Pipeline Company in Puget Sound,” Wyoming
- “Iran: Politics, Diplomacy, Religion,” Florida
- “You Come at the King, You Best Not Miss:” International Bechtel Inc. and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1946-1954,” Business History Conference & European Business History Association in Miami, Florida
- “Kurdistan and a Future of Peace,” Florida
- “Egypt’s Experiment With Democracy: the Evolution of Political Instability,” Florida
- “Petroleum Pipelines and the Culture of Environmentalism: the Northern-Tier Pipeline Company in Puget Sound,” Ohio
- “Oilmen in the Beltway: Fighting the Enemy with Business and Government,” Wyoming
- “Syria 101: an Explanation of the Current Crisis,” Georgia
- “A Revolution Denied: Overcoming the Nationalization of Iranian Oil,” Connecticut
- “A Cooperative Endeavor: Aramco and the U.S. Government in the Desert Frontier, 1950-1955,” Pennsylvania
- “Castles in the Sand: American Corporations in Saudi Arabia, 1945-1955,” Oxford, UK
Past Appointments Include:
- Visiting Assistant Professor of Middle East History, University of Georgia
- Bernard L. Majewski Fellow in Economic Geology at the American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
- Lecturer in History and International Relations, Boston University
- Visiting Scholar, Cambridge University
Languages:
I have conducted research in English, Hebrew, and Farsi. I am knowledgeable in Arabic and Spanish.
Contact Ellen R. Wald:
I can be reached here.
