On June 5, David Carroll, Gas Technology Institute (GTI) president and CEO, assumed the additional role of president of the International Gas Union (IGU) for a three-year term at the closing ceremony of the World Gas Conference (WGC) in Paris. With members from 91 countries representing 97 percent of the world’s natural gas industry, IGU’s mission is to advocate for gas as an integral part of a sustainable global energy system and to promote the political, technical and economic progress of the gas industry. The organization’s home office, or Secretariat, is based in Oslo, Norway.

“I am honored to have been selected by the IGU membership to lead this prestigious organization, and our team looks forward to closely working with the secretary general and the IGU members,” Carroll said. “Given the leading role natural gas is playing in the US to meet energy needs, we are in an ideal position to promote the economic and environmental benefits of natural gas on the international stage.”

The American Gas Association (AGA) is the US charter member of IGU and will also play a key role in leading the 2015-2018 triennium. Dave McCurdy, president and CEO of AGA, is serving as the chairman of the WGC 2018 National Organizing Committee. Mel Ydreos, executive director of EnergyVantage, is serving as chairman of the IGU Coordination Committee, and Jay Copan is serving as executive director of WGC 2018 and special advisor to the president.

Carroll joined GTI in 2001 as vice president of business development and assumed his current position as president and CEO in 2006. He oversees the company’s operations and directs its programs for developing technologies, products and services for customers in the natural gas and related industries. Carroll became the vice president of the IGU in 2012 and chaired the Steering Committee of the 17th International Conference and Exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gas in Houston TX in 2013. He is a member of the Society of Gas Lighting and serves on the board of National Fuel Gas Company.

With the growth of natural gas in the global energy landscape, the new IGU leadership intends to be at the forefront of addressing international priorities and driving innovations in the way energy is used around the world.

“The US team is highly motivated and excited about helping the global natural gas industry advance its legacy and achieve its vision,” says Carroll. “The theme of the US triennium, Fueling the Future, succinctly reflects the long-term opportunities ahead. We’re eager to create a more prominent role for natural gas as an enduring and sustainable resource for the future of humanity and our planet.”