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Nikhil Ati

PartnerHouston

Advises energy, chemicals, and materials companies and investors on decarbonization and the energy transition

Nikhil is a partner in McKinsey’s Houston office and leads our work on decarbonization in the energy, chemicals, and materials industries in North America. He helps clients implement decarbonization transformations at asset and company level, launch zero-carbon products, establish decarbonization hubs, and set energy-transition strategies.

His recent client projects include the following:

  • advising leading energy and chemical companies on corporate strategy
  • helping clients develop growth plans for new energy businesses, including circular plastics, hydrogen, and carbon capture, usage, and storage
  • supporting organizations while executing large-scale performance transformations
  • working on a range of ecosystem decarbonization activities
  • advising credit and equity investors on investing in energy transition and decarbonization activities

Nikhil also leads McKinsey’s support for a major energy-transition initiative, a large hydrogen hub, and a national hydrogen study.

Before joining McKinsey, Nikhil worked as a rig manager and drilling engineer. He has an MBA from INSEAD and a bachelor’s from the Indian Institute of Technology.

PUBLISHED WORK

Unlocking clean hydrogen in the US Gulf Coast: The “here and now”,” McKinsey & Company, August 2023

Houston as the epicenter of a global clean-hydrogen hub,” McKinsey & Company, June 2022

Strategies for OFSE companies confronting the energy transition,” McKinsey & Company, November 2021

A winning OFSE agenda for current times,” McKinsey & Company, October 2020

OFSE quarterly: Revenue edges up, but margins stay under pressure,” McKinsey & Company, September 2019

Recovery continues in the OFSE sector, but margins stay under pressure,” McKinsey & Company, March 2018

PAST EXPERIENCE

Vantage Drilling
Drilling engineer

Transocean
Asset manager, operations engineer

EDUCATION

INSEAD
MBA, technology

Indian Institute of Technology
BTech, technology