For over 73 years, CEEA Chairs have selected a theme for the year that resonates with them. This year, we’ve built a theme that highlights both the wilderness and wild nature of our industry, while emphasizing that we are at the beginning of something, not the end. We see the taming of this wilderness as the frontier aspect. If you’ve ever read The Prize by Yergin, you’ll appreciate the romantic and historical notion of how the industry evolved in its early days—it truly was a wildcatting of oil plays across the globe that made giants. While we no longer face geographical frontiers in our industry, we do face technological and philosophical frontiers, and they are just as wild and chaotic. Energy security, poverty, and the remapping of global partnerships will challenge us and create new opportunities for how we produce and trade energy. The future of technology is bright, but it will come with some wild turns.

We believe in Canada’s ability to build partnerships in North America and abroad to promote a healthy example of energy production. We have a heritage of working with the First Nations of this country, surviving many seasons while protecting and caring for the land as we extract wealth for our people. The horse represents power, wisdom, and spiritual connection. Through stories, dance, and art, the horse remains a beloved and respected figure in Native American culture, reminding us of the importance of respecting the natural world and our connection to all living beings.

Our logo is a wild horse with industry at its core. Whether you see the industry fueling the charge or the wild horse carrying the industry, you are correct. There is a boldness and power that our industry has a responsibility to protect, and the leaders within it must stand by our convictions and provide our wisdom as we prove to the world that we have the moral right to lead toward a better energy future. We are on a grand adventure, to say the least, and this is CEEA 74's call to action: Join the Wild Frontier. We look forward to the year ahead and couldn’t be more excited about the team we have in place to support us on our journey!