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Ken Thompson forms leadership development firm and oil and gas company The former ARCO executive returns "home" to Anchorage; says he did not favor merger but is moving on with his life Kay H. Cashman PNA Editor-in-Chief
The man who was president of ARCO Alaska Inc. from 1994-1998 and then promoted to the company’s Los Angeles headquarters to serve as the executive vice-president responsible for ARCO’s Pacific Rim operating companies and its worldwide gas marketing, has "retired" to Alaska. But after 26 years on the fast track with ARCO, Ken Thompson says he is not ready for an idle lifestyle.
"I was not in favor of the merger, but now that it is a done deal, I am moving on with my life in a positive and exciting way," Thompson told PNA in mid-September.
He has started an Anchorage-based corporation called Pacific Rim Leadership Development, which provides "leadership development coaching and mentoring services to corporations, churches and non-profit organizations in Alaska and throughout the Asia-Pacific region."
Thompson has also founded an independent oil and gas company called Pacific Star Energy. He said he’s "currently in a wait and see mode" with this Alaska corporation because at the present time “the major companies have a lot of excess cash flo” from high oil prices. “Deals acceptable to me are tough to make on the North Slope right now.” Michael’s influence Why did Thompson choose to return to Alaska?
“Needless to say, I ... felt there was business opportunity in Alaska with the network of relationships built while I was president of ARCO Alaska,” he said. “Alaska seemed most like home to us of the nine locations we had lived in the past several years. ... This is where we want to raise our two sons.”
Thompson and his wife, Pat, encouraged their 12 year old son Michael to “name two places” he would be willing live after the ARCO merger. Michael chose “Anchorage” and “Alaska.”
“All these reasons, based on relationships, played key roles in our returning to Alaska,” Thompson said. One of two U.S. APEC advisers Besides serving as CEO for his own firms, late last year Thompson was elected to the board of Alaska Air Group and Alaska Airlines Inc.
He also serves as one of two U.S. representatives to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Energy Business Network. Its energy network is an advisory group that provides advice to 21 APEC energy ministers.
Initially appointed to the APEC group by the U.S. Department of Energy in 1998, Thompson was asked by DOE to continue his involvement after ARCO merged with BP Amoco this past spring.
"The Energy Business Network advises ... the energy ministers ... on ways to further privatize the energy business in countries where energy production and utilities may be state owned or are currently deregulating to attract more foreign investment," Thompson said.
"Currently, our EBN is focusing on evolving the natural gas industry throughout Asia and on the power generation sector. We also focus on clean energy with special focus on protecting the environment as Kyoto-like protocol initiatives progress," he said.
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