Shipping industry names who knew NextDecade founder and LNG regasification innovator Kathleen Eisbrenner have been remembering and detailing her contribution to the business following the news of her death last week.
Eisbrenner’s family said in an obituary that the 58-year-old had died on 9 May after suffering a “devastating head injury” from a fall in her home.
Those in the industry who met Eisbrenner in the past few weeks have spoken of her looking frail and weak, but were shocked to learn of her sudden death.
Exmar chief executive Nicolas Saverys worked with Eisbrenner as she moved the time charters for what were then the world’s first floating storage and regasification unit newbuildings from El Paso Corp and started setting up Excelerate Energy, later convincing US billionaire George Kaiser to back the new company.
“Kathleen’s importance for the LNG industry is paramount as she was the only one really believing in the regasification of LNG onboard ships,” Saverys told TradeWinds.
"It is this which has been the start of all the innovations that we have in the LNG industry,” he said, adding that regasification also pushed the sector to become "more daring" and move into floating liquefaction.
“It is obvious that we, the LNG industry, lost a great innovator and inspirer, and I lost a great friend and a board member.”
Jon Cook, who joined Eisbrenner in the early years of Excelerate, said working alongside her was "often challenging, but always enjoyable".
"She had an incredible drive to succeed and could always find solutions that made difficult negotiations more pleasant, and ultimately, beneficial for all involved," Cook said.
“Whether leading the development of cutting-edge technologies or negotiating innovative trading strategies, she was always confident in the outcome and encouraged her team to push the envelope and strive for the impossible.
“She inspired the people who worked with her and genuinely valued their efforts — she was a great advocate for her team.
“Eight bells ring out for Kathleen, as she ends her watch and sets sail on a new voyage.”
Former Excelerate chief executive Rob Bryngelson described Eisbrenner as “truly one of a kind”.
“I always enjoyed her rapid-fire exchange of ideas and eternal optimism," he said. "Her relentless tenacity and drive to succeed were only rivalled by her love for her family and friends.”
Eisbrenner was born in Hammond, Indiana, and studied civil engineering at university before participating in the Harvard Business School Strategic Marketing Management programme.
Gas was truly a family affair, and Eisbrenner often said it was a regular topic around the table at home with husband Ray and their four children, who all attended an LNG ship-naming ceremony with her in South Korea in 2004.
Her family described her as “a true visionary, who possessed the innate capability to implement her ideas”.
Eisbrenner’s last big play was liquefaction developer NextDecade, which she set up in 2010 and took public in 2017. New management emerged at the start of 2018, which Saverys said saddened its founder. But she remained the company’s chairman until her death last week.
Eisbrenner’s funeral was due to be held on 17 May in The Woodlands, Texas. An evening banquet will be held on 30 May in Houston to celebrate and remember her legacy in the oil and gas industry.
