Maria Koutsona

Maria Koutsona is a seasoned professional currently serving as the Senior Advisor for Technology Portfolios, Process & Valuation at ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering, Strategy and Planning. Based in Spring, TX, she has proven to be an instrumental figure in the company, consistently showcasing her expertise in various capacities. Her impressive list of accomplishments includes conducting techno-economic assessments and providing guidance for technology programs such as Open Process Automation. She also played a pivotal role in the development, commissioning, and support of refinery scheduling and product blending optimization applications in North America, Northwestern Europe, and Asia-Pacific refineries. Notably, Maria has improved refinery planning optimization applications and supported their rollout in multiple refineries across these regions. With a strong background in research and development, she has led projects in Blend Planning and Scheduling Optimization and played a significant role in developing and commissioning the first reactor models in Real Time Optimization applications. Her commitment to technical quality and safety is evident through her role as the Technical Quality Committee Chair and her active membership on the Safety Committee.

In addition to her corporate achievements, Maria Koutsona is a dedicated scholar with an extensive academic background. Her PhD projects have primarily focused on computational studies of reacting flows, with practical applications that have left a lasting impact. Notable among her research efforts is the work on ZnSe nanoparticle synthesis in a counter-flow jet reactor, where her models guided experimental work and optimization studies for the reactor and the overall process. Another significant project involved CH4/H2 separation over 5A-zeolite in a PSA cycle, and her models were instrumental in the design of PSA units by Chemical Design, Inc. Maria's contributions to both the corporate and academic realms showcase her as a multifaceted professional with a passion for innovation and continuous improvement.