Pankaj Goel, Ph.D., is Digital Transformation Advisor for Upstream New Operations at ExxonMobil, leading lifecycle digitalization, intelligent automation, OT cybersecurity, and autonomous operations across global capital projects. He has supported developments from Guyana deepwater projects to Rovuma LNG in Mozambique, shaping AI-ready facilities from concept through start-up and enabling remote, resilient, and optimized operations. An industry innovator, Pankaj created CyLiFFE©, a cybersecurity lifecycle framework embedding IEC 62443-aligned security-by-design into greenfield projects. He has three patent-pending innovations and authored peer-reviewed publications in industrial automation and digitalization, including specialized work in machine learning and AI for oil and gas. Pankaj earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University, where his research advanced AI- and machine learning-driven decision support systems for complex industrial environments. He is recognized as an industry leader, receiving Digital Engineer of the Year 2026, OTC Emerging Leader in 2024, and Control Engineering’s “Engineering Leader Under 40."