Learnings from Managing in a Crisis: a CEO’s perspective
Alix Thomas, IWF UK Member, CEO, Adriatic LNG
As CEO of Adriatic LNG, I would like to share some personal reflections on leading through the energy crisis. Adriatic LNG is one of Europe’s largest offshore liquefied natural gas import terminals, strategically located in the northern Adriatic Sea off the coast of Venice, supplying natural gas to the Italian and wider European energy markets.
As you know, the escalating security situation in the Gulf has resulted in a sharp and sudden decline in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, significantly disrupting the global flow of hydrocarbon products, including Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
The events in the Middle East are tragic and deeply distressing, and our situation pales in comparison. My intent is simply to reflect on effective crisis leadership of leading a small team through intense pressure, uncertainty, and external scrutiny.
Our regasification terminal in Italy supplies around 15% of the country’s annual gas demand, with roughly 75% of this typically sourced from Qatar. Since LNG became a critical substitute for Russian gas following the Ukraine war, the potential loss of supply created major operational and commercial concerns.
Our terminal – an impressive 375m-long structure standing 18m above sea level in the Adriatic suddenly faced the prospect of significantly reduced usage. This prompted immediate questions from stakeholders, shareholders, and employees about how we would sustain operations and maintain supply.
The disruption came at a critical point for the Italian gas market, as the system shifted to storage following peak winter demand. There was a real risk that supply would fall short and rising prices could discourage gas storage, a tightly regulated process in Italy. While the government focused on securing storage for the following winter, customers worried about meeting immediate market commitments, and shareholders were concerned about both short-term operational pressures and the long-term reliability of gas supply.
Looking back over the past few weeks, I’m proud to say we have stabilised gas supply by working closely with customers to source LNG from alternative providers, mainly the US. We’ve strengthened our rolling 90-day schedule, maintained open communication with stakeholders, and reinforced shareholder confidence. We are now adapting to what may become the new normal, at least for the foreseeable future.
Three key lessons stand out.
First, the importance of structure: I introduced crisis management meetings every two days with a focused cross-functional team of seven, prioritising expertise over hierarchy. This helped manage the erratic flow of information and kept everyone aligned.
Second, the need to assess priorities carefully distinguishing what was urgent from what was important, while balancing immediate action with longer-term scenario planning.
Third, the value of active listening. A clear communication framework enabled us not only to respond quickly to stakeholder questions but to understand the underlying concerns behind them. This helped in building confidence both externally and within the team and helped in creating space for everyone to focus on their tasks.
The crisis is ongoing, but a deliberate, stepwise approach has helped create the right environment for calm, focused execution and in delivering timely, accurate information to those who need it.
