Hussein Shel has moved from Amazon Web Services (AWS) energy team to head up Google Cloud’s oil and gas unit.

Shel had spent just under four years at AWS as its chief technologist, where he led cloud migration and technology innovation initiatives for leading energy and utility companies. Before this, he was chief technology officer of energy and resources at Microsoft. Shell also spent nine years at oil and gas major Chevron.

In his new role, Shel will lead Google Cloud’s global oil and gas strategy and will be based out of Houston, Texas.

Reflecting on the move on LinkedIn, Shel said: “Looking forward, the energy industry stands at a massive inflection point. The convergence of subsurface data, operational complexity, sustainability, and advanced technology demands next-generation solutions. I could not be more excited to lead Google Cloud’s global oil & gas strategy, partnering with energy leaders to unlock the true potential of AI, machine learning, and data analytics.”

Google Cloud has partnered with several major upstream, downstream, and oilfield services companies. These include SLB, TotalEnergies, Aker BP, and Chevron.

Most recently, the firm partnered with US energy company Baker Hughes to create AI-driven tools to optimize power usage and enhance sustainability in data centers.