Carla Lacerda is a seasoned energy executive with over 35 years of experience spanning upstream operations, government engagement, and regulatory advocacy in Brazil and the United States. Currently she is President of the Brazil-Texas Chamber of Commerce | BRATECC based in Houston. In addition, she is a Non-resident Fellow in the Energy and Sustainability Program at UC San Diego's Institute of the Americas and the Center for Energy Studies, with the Baker Institute of Public Policy at Rice University. In these positions, Carla is a leading voice on Brazil-U.S. energy investment, energy transition, and cross-border innovation. Her career has included chairmanship of the Upstream Council in the IBP - Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo, Gás e Biocombustíveis (ABEP/IBP) and executive leadership as President of ExxonMobil Brazil. She holds degrees in Chemical Oceanography from Florida Institute of Technology and Texas A&M University.