CAVU International Vice President of Business Development Leo Luft will take the stage at the 25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this October to explore how leadership and human performance development can help the energy industry attract, develop and retain the workforce it needs for the future.

Leo will present “Investing in People: Leadership and Human Performance Development as a Catalyst for Talent Attraction and Retention Across the Energy Sector” as part of Forum 30, Human Capital: Attracting, Training and Retaining, on October 14 at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center.

The session comes at a time when the global energy industry faces a growing challenge: delivering against increasing operational demands while competing with industries such as technology and finance for highly skilled talent. Leo’s presentation will examine why attracting and retaining that talent requires more than compensation or traditional training programs. It requires creating workplaces where people can see a future for themselves, feel supported by their leaders and have meaningful opportunities to develop.

Leadership Development as a Talent Strategy

Drawing on case studies spanning oil and gas, chemical manufacturing, port infrastructure and wind energy, Leo will explore how organizations can use leadership development and human performance coaching as both operational tools and workforce strategies.

The presentation highlights the impact of field-based coaching, structured leadership development and continuous improvement programs that extend from senior leaders through frontline supervisors. When leaders throughout an organization consistently model the same values and behaviors, organizations can build greater alignment, accountability and trust while strengthening the everyday experience of their workforce.

That investment can influence much more than employee development. The cases highlighted in Leo’s paper demonstrate connections between stronger frontline leadership and improved safety and reliability, greater employee engagement and retention, increased organizational resilience and better communication across teams and contractors.

Investing in People Is Investing in Performance

A central idea behind Leo’s presentation is one that has long shaped CAVU’s work with high-risk industries: investing in people is investing in performance.

Organizations that intentionally develop their leaders can create environments where employees understand expectations, communicate more effectively, recognize risk earlier and feel empowered to contribute. Those same leadership systems can also provide stability during organizational change, strengthen culture and show both current and prospective employees that the organization is committed to their long-term growth.

For an industry navigating significant technological, operational and workforce change, leadership and human performance development can therefore become much more than training initiatives. They can become important components of how organizations build sustainable, high-performing cultures and retain the people who will lead the next generation of energy.

Presentation Details

25th WPC Energy Congress
Forum 30: Human Capital – Attracting, Training and Retaining
October 14, 2026 | 14:30–15:45
Hall 10 – Technical Programme 5
Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center (RFECC)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The 25th WPC Energy Congress takes place October 11–15, 2026, bringing together energy leaders from around the world in Riyadh.

We are proud to have Leo representing CAVU International and contributing to the global conversation around leadership, human performance and the future of the energy workforce.

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