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About B4E

Reimagining how the energy industry works together

B4E is a member-led, non-profit innovation ecosystem founded on a simple idea: the industry's shared challenges are best solved on shared, neutral infrastructure — then commercialized by the technology partners who build on it.

Mission

We drive industry innovation by pushing beyond traditional technological boundaries. We achieve success through synergizing efforts and expertise, to create a trust network where collaboration is the catalyst for significant value creation.

We are redefining operational efficiency and fostering growth using automation, robust standards, and cutting-edge technologies for faster adoption. We are testing the limits of possibility — delivering tomorrow's solutions today.

Vision

Solving shared challenges for a new era of decentralized, digital solutions through a collaborative ecosystem.

Digital solutions designed by the energy industry for the industry.

Governance & Board

Led by the industry it serves

B4E is governed by its members. A board of industry representatives sets strategic direction, while working groups and committees drive the day-to-day development of standards and solutions.

Member-led

Direction is set by the members who use the network — not by an outside vendor or single company.

Board oversight

A board of industry representatives provides strategic oversight and accountability for the consortium.

Working groups

Programs and committees do the hands-on work of defining standards and shipping solutions.

Board of Directors

Select a director to read their bio.

Raj Rapaka

Chairperson of the Board

ExxonMobil

Raj is a Digital Transformation Advisor with ExxonMobil and has been with the firm for ten years. Over the course of his career, Raj has worked in consulting, marketing, commodities trading, and GHG program management — but found his calling in business transformation. He is an ardent student of business history and is passionate about recognizing, understanding, and leveraging the forces of change. He is the creator of the SELF-HELP business improvement framework, and uses his background in engineering, technology, and finance to ideate, advocate, and execute step-change initiatives.

Raj spearheads ExxonMobil's efforts around Blockchain and is a board member on the Blockchain for Energy consortium.

Christopher Milliet

Vice Chairperson of the Board

Chevron

Christopher Milliet is a Technical Manager, Operational Technology (OT) Innovation at Chevron. He stood up a five-gate innovation pipeline that reduced intake-to-proof-of-concept from months to weeks, accelerating the pace at which emerging OT technologies reach field validation. He delivered Edge AI for artificial lift optimization and led the deployment of the Wells Edge Platform across global upstream assets and 40+ sites. Chris built Chevron's GHG inventory system and emissions reporting for HSE — direct experience with the data quality challenges dMRV addresses. He led international program delivery across Israel, Argentina, China, Liberia, Kuwait, and Kurdistan — greenfield OT/IT standup and operations. He also co-launched the Chevron Makerspace at The Cannon, partnering with CTV and IT R&D to foster external innovation.

Rebecca Hofmann

Executive Director & Founder

B4E

Rebecca Hofmann is an accomplished finance and compliance leader with over 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Her past operational assignments have covered the development and improvement of processes over governance and compliance to support onshore and offshore operations. She is the founder and visionary behind the Blockchain for Energy consortium — where she is the standing CEO and served as chairman of the board two years prior. Hofmann's many industry awards and accolades include the 2018 GRIT Award for Creativity and Innovation, the 2019 GRIT Award for her team's work in emerging technologies, and the 2021 Global Supply Chain Leaders Blockchain CEO of the Year Award. She has also authored several thought leadership articles related to blockchain technology.

Jason Jones

Treasurer

ExxonMobil

Jason has worked at Mobil and ExxonMobil for 32 years and is currently a Financials Enterprise Architect and IT Fellow. Starting in the Controller's organization, he helped transform many sales, trading, and volume accounting processes. In 1998, Jason moved to the Fuels Marketing organization as Vice President of Mobil Diesel Supply Corporation where he helped build Mobil's diesel marketing business with the Petro Stopping Centers joint venture. After the merger, he moved into IT helping to merge Mobil and Exxon applications and develop his skills in business architecture, innovation, and technology surveillance. Five years ago, he was charged with learning what blockchain technology and cryptocurrency could offer and spent several months with some of the industry thought leaders. It was at the first oil and gas blockchain conference at Rice University that Jason met Rebecca Hofmann and others from the industry to share their enthusiasm for the transformational opportunities of digital and blockchain technologies for the industry. When he's not acting as a blockchain and emerging technology catalyst, you can find Jason in his garden micro-managing his 100+ plumeria plants.

Roger Bhalla

Manager, ERP Strategy

ConocoPhillips

Roger Bhalla is the Manager, ERP Center of Excellence at ConocoPhillips. In this role, Roger is responsible for continuing to optimize the company's business processes across Finance, Supply Chain, Operations & Maintenance, Human Resources, and Capital Spending across both the global functions and all Business Units. He previously led the ERP transformation from highly customized on-premise to largely standardized cloud-based.

Formerly, Roger held roles leading the Technology and Shared Services functions within Supply Chain. During his tenure, he has led ConocoPhillips to becoming a leader in the energy industry for supply chain digitization, including co-founding the first Blockchain Consortium for the Energy Industry in the US.

Prior to joining ConocoPhillips in 2012, Roger was the Vice-President of Supply Chain Enablement at Hewlett-Packard. In this capacity, he drove a significant expansion of supply chain capability for >$250M in annual profit improvement, while standardizing business processes and consolidating IT systems. In his 15 years at HP, he held a number of leadership positions in Supply Chain, Marketing and Business Planning.

Earlier in his career, Roger was with the Ford Motor Company in Procurement, as well as with General Dynamics and Santa Clara Plastics in Engineering positions.

Roger holds an MBA in Marketing/Management and a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of Texas (Austin). He is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) from APICS.

Zach Gragg

Cybersecurity Leader

Expand Energy

Zach Gragg is a cybersecurity leader with a passion for security. He currently serves as Manager of Cybersecurity at Expand Energy, where he has worked for 16 years. With 20-plus years of cybersecurity experience in finance and energy sectors, Zach has always been fascinated by the challenges posed by security threats and how to mitigate those risks. As a blockchain enthusiast, Zach is excited about how this technology can be leveraged to enhance processes and security around energy-critical infrastructure.

When he's not working, Zach is an avid advocate for the outdoors and a dedicated youth sports coach.

Jose Miguel Seoane

Technology Advisor

Repsol

Jose Miguel Seoane Redondo is a Technical Advisor with over 12 years of experience at Repsol. He specializes in digitalization within the Energy Industry, possessing extensive expertise in problem-solving by implementing early-stage technologies.

For more than 12 years, he has been involved in Digital Transformation, focusing on enhancing business operations by exploring and testing the potential of emerging digital technologies such as Bioinformatics, Chemoinformatics, AI, and Blockchain.

Dr. Seoane Redondo holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark. He is also an advocate for diversity in technology, serving as a mentor in the Repsol Digital Girls initiative and participating in the Technovation challenge. He has two teenage daughters and remains dedicated to promoting inclusivity in the tech industry.

Nicole Wick

Board Secretary

B4E

Nicole Wick serves as Operations Administrator and Board Secretary at Blockchain For Energy (B4E), providing support to executive leadership and board operations. She brings over 15 years of experience in C-suite support roles within global organizations, including time at Equinor. Her expertise encompasses executive operations, board coordination, and high-level administrative strategy. She is recognized for strong organizational capabilities, discretion, and a talent for fostering seamless collaboration among teams and stakeholders.
Leadership

The team steering B4E

B4E's executive and product leaders steward the shared capabilities the industry builds on — each accountable for a program that turns a common challenge into trusted, reusable infrastructure.

Rebecca Hofmann

Rebecca Hofmann

President & CEO

Founder and chief executive of B4E.

Rebecca Hofmann

President & CEO

Rebecca Hofmann is an accomplished finance and compliance leader with over 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Her past operational assignments have covered the development and improvement of processes over governance and compliance to support onshore and offshore operations. She is the founder and visionary behind the Blockchain for Energy consortium — where she is the standing CEO and served as chairman of the board two years prior. Hofmann's many industry awards and accolades include the 2018 GRIT Award for Creativity and Innovation, the 2019 GRIT Award for her team's work in emerging technologies, and the 2021 Global Supply Chain Leaders Blockchain CEO of the Year Award. She has also authored several thought leadership articles related to blockchain technology.
DJ Kruitbosch

DJ Kruitbosch

Director of Technology

Leads technology strategy and platform evolution across the B4E network.

DJ Kruitbosch

Director of Technology

DJ Kruitbosch is B4E's Director of Technology, leading technology strategy and platform evolution — building AI-native digital infrastructure and interoperable enterprise ecosystems for the energy industry. He works at the intersection of AI, agentic systems, Web3, IoT, and distributed infrastructure to design scalable, interoperable, and trusted industry solutions.

He also represents B4E on the Hedera Governing Council, helping govern the network B4E's solutions anchor to. His career spans telecommunications, enterprise infrastructure, and emerging technologies — including a decade at Nokia leading international delivery and transformation programs across EMEA and beyond.

He holds a Master's degree in Blockchain & Digital Currency from the University of Nicosia and a BSc in Information Technology from Windesheim University of Professional Education.
Alfredo Abad

Alfredo Abad

Digital Identity Product Lead

Leads the Digital Identity program — verified identities for organizations and assets across the network.

Alfredo Abad

Digital Identity Product Lead

Alfredo Abad Arranz is COO and co-founder of Sybol and champions B4E's Digital Identity program. He also serves on the Hedera Governing Council as Repsol's representative agent, helping steward the distributed ledger B4E's solutions anchor to.

He spent more than a decade at Repsol — most recently leading Digital Experimentation & Web3 Strategy — and brings deep experience in innovation, project management, and management reporting across the energy industry. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and studied at FH Kufstein Tirol – University of Applied Sciences.
Afonso Guimarães

Afonso Guimarães

IJVM Product Lead

Leads Integrated Joint Venture Management — AFE balloting and Joint Interest Billing on a shared ledger.

Afonso Guimarães

IJVM Product Lead

Afonso Guimarães is a visionary leader in finance, recognized globally for his expertise in Record-to-Report operations and digital finance transformation. With over 20 years of experience at industry giants like ExxonMobil and Marathon Oil, Afonso has built a reputation as a trusted leader and advisor, bridging the gap between finance and technical teams to drive high-impact system and process improvements. His work has enabled finance organizations around the world to scale efficiently — boosting accuracy, compliance, and operational agility.

Afonso specializes in ERP platforms such as SAP and cutting-edge finance cloud tools like BlackLine, with deep proficiency in automation, RPA, and Gen AI integration. His ability to turn complex digital strategies into practical solutions has made him a key resource for executives and cross-functional teams across the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Beyond his technical acumen, Afonso is known for developing impactful training programs and global finance guidelines, elevating Oil & Gas accounting and controls standards across the industry.

His academic background includes an MBA from Webster University and a Professional Certificate in Digital Transformation from MIT. Committed to innovation and sustainability, Afonso serves as a volunteer Project Advisor for the Blockchain for Energy consortium (B4E), where he leads initiatives on blockchain applications for AFE/Ballot processes and Joint Interest Billing.
Augie Diz

Augie Diz

Seismic Product Lead

Leads the Seismic Entitlements program — clear, traceable seismic data rights across the industry.

Augie Diz

Seismic Product Lead

Agustín (Augie) Diz holds a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Florida on quantum molecular dynamics. He continues to collaborate with a research team at Rice University, focusing on electronic structure methods.

He has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, working in various roles from 1994 to 2023, including global Director of Information Management, Data Analytics in E&P and Knowledge Management at Repsol.

He commits to innovation, regularly questioning established procedures to identify more effective methods. Learning new tools and practices, he collaborates with companies to improve or replace existing industry solutions. This drive motivates him to propose and pursue novel ideas like using Blockchain for Seismic Entitlements across the industry or use AI to summarize vast information stores for specific business objectives.

Augie strongly believes that people's knowledge and expertise are the single most critical element in any work environment. He works to empower individuals through comprehensive training, encouraging openness to new ideas and willingness to test them.

Augie has experience in defining and executing plans with long-term objectives. Maintaining a flexible long-term strategic focus has been key to ensuring success while carefully incorporating new technologies, methods and critical people training.
Keith Hofmann

Keith Hofmann

ESG Product Lead

Leads the ESG program — shared standards for capturing, validating, and reporting environmental, social, and governance data.

Keith Hofmann

ESG Product Lead

Keith Hofmann is the Managing Director of B4ECarbon, LLC, a climate technology company delivering blockchain-integrated dMRV systems that generate and verify high-integrity carbon credits. A former E&P operator and oilfield owner turned carbon innovator, Mr. Hofmann bridges the realities of energy operations with the rigor of financial markets and the scalability of digital infrastructure.

He holds an MBA from Tulane University, a dual B.S./B.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas, and executive certifications from Harvard Business School and MIT. Mr. Hofmann's background spans energy, finance, and technology, with leadership roles at Future Petroleum, Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual, Wolters Kluwer, and IBM Global Services. An honorably discharged U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he combines operational discipline and financial rigor to scale ventures that deliver measurable environmental and economic value.

Commodity Logistics Product Lead

Open role

We're growing the team. This role will lead the Commodity Transport program.

Strategic Collaborators

Built with leaders across energy

B4E's members and collaborators include some of the largest organizations in the energy industry — working side by side to define what the network becomes.

FAQs

Common questions

Can't find what you're looking for? Contact us.

What is B4E?

B4E (Blockchain For Energy) is a member-led, non-profit innovation ecosystem for the energy industry. B4E develops and stewards trusted, shared digital capabilities; technology partners commercialize them into market-ready offerings; and operators and suppliers adopt them — solving common challenges once, together.

Is B4E tied to a specific blockchain or vendor?

No. B4E is intentionally neutral and vendor-agnostic, open to all platforms and providers. The goal is industry-owned infrastructure with no single point of control or lock-in.

Who can join?

Energy companies and organizations across the value chain — operators, service companies, and partners — can apply for membership. Members co-develop standards, solutions, and programs.

What do members get?

A seat at the table shaping industry standards, access to production solutions like B4E Carbon and B4E Logistics, the ability to lead programs, and shared infrastructure they don't have to build alone.

Is B4E a for-profit company?

No. Blockchain For Energy operates as a non-profit organization headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Help shape the digital infrastructure of energy

Membership puts your organization at the table — co-developing the standards, solutions, and platform the industry will run on.

Become a member Schedule a demo