Isobel O'Connell
Strategic Partner
Metagnosis Consulting
Isobel O’Connell is an international business leader specializing in environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy and non-technical risk management across the energy, mining, infrastructure, maritime, and other regulated sectors. With two decades of global experience, she has worked extensively across North America, Europe, South & Central America, the Middle East, and Russia. In 2024, she was recognized among the Global 50 Women by SustainabilityX Magazine.
Isobel most recently served as Head of Social Performance and Local Content for a US$40B LNG joint venture, leading regulatory social management programs and delivering the first Community-Level Infrastructure and Service Management Plan aligned with multi-level government commitments.
A Strategic Partner at Metagnosis Consulting, she advises companies and nonprofits on ESG performance, stakeholder engagement, change management, community impact investment, and policy development. Her previous leadership roles include Senior Director of Global Sustainability & Impact at DP World, Head of Stakeholder Engagement at Qatar Energy, and senior consulting roles with ERM and Deloitte.
Isobel is known for translating environment and social considerations into strategic and operational value - strengthening investor confidence, shaping resilient organisations, and turning complex sustainability challenges into opportunities for long-term impact.
She holds a Master’s in Public Administration & Policy and a BA in Human Development & Geography, with advanced studies in sustainability management, human rights and gender, data analytics, change management, and ESG-focused investor relations. Isobel holds citizenship in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Ireland.
Participates in
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Leadership
In this evolving landscape, boards of directors must lead the way. Governance is the foundation for achieving ESG objectives, and it is the board’s responsibility to ensure these factors are deeply embedded into governance frameworks. This includes setting strategic priorities, managing risk, allocating resources effectively, and aligning ESG principles with the company’s purpose and long-term strategy.
This presentation will explore how energy company boards can move beyond compliance and adopt a more strategic, inclusive approach to ESG governance. It will highlight the importance of adaptive decision-making frameworks that incorporate diverse perspectives from within the boardroom and across internal and external stakeholder groups. Boards must evolve their governance practices to embrace broader stakeholder engagement, build trust, and improve transparency around decision-making processes and trade-offs.
A key feature of the presentation is the introduction of an alternative FOCUS decision-making model (Frame, Option, Cognitive Bias, Uncertainty, Selection). Developed by Roger Schwarz, FOCUS is a human-centred decision-making framework designed to support individuals and teams in making high-quality decisions under uncertainty. Grounded in scientific research and real-world experience, FOCUS integrates logic and structure with a deep understanding of human behaviour—including values, cognitive biases, intuition, emotion, and physical and mental states. The framework is not a checklist, but a tool to help boards navigate complexity and make decisions they can stand behind—even when outcomes are uncertain. Attendees will leave with a foundational understanding of it and how to apply it in practice, as well as a renewed appreciation for the art and science of making better decisions in complex environments.
The presentation will draw on governance insights and real-world case studies to show how effective board leadership can balance commercial imperatives with societal responsibilities and stakeholder expectations. It will challenge traditional assumptions about how decisions are made, emphasising a practical guidance for directors and senior executives seeking to embed ESG into the core of governance and decision-making processes.
Ultimately, this presentation offers practical guidance for directors and senior executives looking to embed ESG into the DNA of corporate governance. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of how to build resilient, stakeholder-responsive governance structures that support ESG integration and strengthen corporate performance in a rapidly changing energy landscape.
TECHNICAL PROGRAMME | Energy Leadership
As expectations for responsible business practices intensify, particularly in the energy sector, stakeholder engagement has become critical to securing and maintaining a Social License to Operate (SLO). This presentation examines how energy companies are evolving Joint Venture Agreements (JVAs) to meet growing expectations for transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability, with a focus on community focused stakeholder engagement. The discussion will also highlight the evolving role of Indigenous groups who are shaping shared partnerships, ensuring credible processes, and delivering visible impact—especially in sensitive geographies where energy projects are being considered or built.
Problem Statement:
Despite increased awareness of ESG, many energy companies working in JVA projects still treat stakeholder engagement as a compliance requirement rather than an ongoing strategic asset to support the SLO, and to grow. Traditional business models prioritise short-term financial metrics and shareholder interests, often overlooking JVA dynamics that can influence long-term success.
The rise of stakeholder-centric thinking marks a fundamental shift: knowing, understanding, and actively managing relationships with affected communities and those “outside the fence” is now considered essential to business resilience.
Implementing social performance, or the how companies engage beyond their operational boundaries, has emerged as a key indicator of both corporate responsibility and JVA commercial viability. As expectations from regulators, investors, and all communities grow, energy companies are developing new capabilities to align stakeholder engagement with business strategy and innovation (ex. Ai), ensuring they meet both operational goals and societal expectations.
Approach:
This presentation will examine the impact JVAs have on meaningful stakeholder engagement. It will highlight how moving beyond compliance to build trust, co-create solutions, and strengthen relationships can contribute to project success and long-term value.
Key topics include:
• Integrating a Social Performance lens into project planning, execution and frameworks (ex UNDRIP)
• What trustworthy engagement looks like in complex social risk and impact contexts
• Defining and delivering ‘meaningful’ engagement
• Effective vs. ineffective communication and consultation approaches
• Creating shared value through local content, supply chains, and social investment
• Grievance mechanisms and responsive management.
Through case studies - such as NEXUS Gas Transmission Pipeline, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, LNG Canada’s Community Level Integrated Social Management Plan, and other benefit agreements – this presentation will outline how transparent, inclusive, and sustained engagement in JVA projects have led to smoother implementation, reduced delays, stronger reputational capital, improved risk management and greater investor and stakeholder, indigenous & partner confidence.
Conclusion:
Stakeholder and Indigenous engagement is no longer optional within the energy sector, and JVAs that integrate it into governance and decision-making early on are better positioned to manage reputations, risks, include new innovation, meet evolving expectations, and build long-term shared value. Furthermore, securing the SLO depends not only on what JVA operations do, but how they engage—and with whom.
