Dianne Ralston is an experienced C-suite executive who has led international technology organizations through significant planned and unplanned strategic transitions, including mergers and acquisitions, board leadership and CEO transitions, crisis events, and cultural and strategy transformation. She is Chief Legal Officer for SLB, a $28 billion global technology company driving energy innovation in traditional and renewable energy. She manages a 400-person team working across six continents. In her prior C-suite roles, which include Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at TechnipFMC plc, Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at FMC Technologies, Inc., and Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer at Weatherford International, Inc., she led legal, compliance, government relations, facilities, and shared services functions.
Ms. Ralston specializes in strategic transformation, having been responsible for some of the largest consolidations in the energy technology sector. She has created implementable structures for even the most complex cross-border transactions and is able to develop clear and concise deal rationales that resonate with boards, shareholders, and regulators. She has effectively navigated multi-jurisdictional regulatory hurdles to ensure closing and has managed complex post-closing integrations to deliver financial synergies while maintaining productivity and engagement.
Ms. Ralston has developed and implemented industry-leading ESG programs. She has extensive corporate governance expertise in the US, UK, and France, with emphasis on board effectiveness including conflict resolution, CEO succession, and board transition. Ms. Ralston has implemented business development strategies in emerging markets to meet local economic development requirements while adhering to the highest standards of business integrity.
Ms. Ralston also has significant crisis management experience. She has managed financial irregularities, including financial restatements, without a loss in equity value, and has resolved multiple government investigations, including the first multi-jurisdictional settlement to include all US and Brazilian anti-corruption regulatory authorities.
Ms. Ralston serves on the Board of Trustees for the United Way of Greater Houston and on the board of Make-a-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana. She also serves on the University of Houston Energy Advisory Board which advises the University on research, advocacy, and educational programs necessary to accelerate energy transition while ensuring energy access and security, especially for developing economies.
Ms. Ralston was recognized in 2017 with the “Women Who Mean Business” award from the Houston Business Journal. She was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Oil and Gas” by the National Diversity Council in 2018 and was named by Hart Energy as one of the “25 Most Influential Women in Energy” in 2022. Ms. Ralston was named “Houston General Counsel of the Year” in 2022 by the Association of Corporate Counsel. Ms. Ralston was the 2022 Commencement Speaker for the University of Houston Law Center.
She is a frequent speaker on career development and diversity, equity and inclusion, and effective communication, including as a guest on the Deloitte: Resilient and the Flipping the Barrel podcasts.
Ms. Ralston attended Texas A&M University as a National Merit Scholar and obtained dual degrees in Marketing and Production and Operations Management. Ms. Ralston obtained her J.D, magna cum laude, from the University of Houston Law Center.
Ms. Ralston is married to Andrew Ralston, General Counsel of Ascend Performance Materials, a private equity-backed global manufacturer of performance fabrics. They have two daughters, Reagan (23) and Peyton (18).