Christopher Olson is a 2024-2025 Veterans Advanced Energy fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center.
Olson serves as the vice president for government relations for Weatherford, a global energy services company. In this role, Olson provides leadership in global government relations, energy trade associations, and community affairs. Olson has more than thirty years of experience building and leveraging global relationships in diverse economic and political environments.
Before joining Weatherford, Olson served as the director of trade and international affairs in the Houston Mayor’s Office, where he advised city leaders on global strategy and market positioning to increase economic development. Olson led Houston’s global bilateral investment development, managed engagement with foreign governments, and led global businesses engagement. Olson also serves as the executive director for the World Energy Cities Partnership, where he developed strategies for the energy transition and advised global business and government leaders on ESG strategies.
At the US Department of State, Olson had diplomatic postings in the Balkans and South and Central Asia; supervised programs in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe; and advised US and international business executives. As a business consultant, Olson advised on corporate market strategy, organizational structure, and business processes. Olson also served in the US Navy, leading large, diverse, cross-functional teams through shipboard tours. As a staff officer for the chief of naval operations in the Pentagon, he supported special warfare operations and led antiterrorism and continuity of operations programs.
Olson holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Northwestern University and a master’s degree from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Olson also earned an MBA with a focus on strategy and innovation from Rice University Business School, where he was recognized as a Jones scholar for academic and leadership excellence.