After graduating from San Francisco State University in 1981 with degrees in Creative Writing and Anthropology, Ray Scippa began working as an archaeologist, photographer and writer in the Maya area of Central America and Mexico.

Six years later in late 1987, he settled in Texas and began working in corporate communications with Continental Airlines where he led a proto-typical social media revolution at the then bankrupt airline. Utilizing telex machines, bulletin boards and 1-800 call-in lines, he and his small team delivered timely and responsive communications during a period of extended corporate crises.

He has continued to practice progressive corporate communications as vice president of public relations for Pennzoil-Quaker State Company (1998 – 2002), director of public relations for J. Ray McDermott (2003 – 2006), and in his current role as director of Employee Communications with ConocoPhillips, the world’s largest independent oil and gas exploration and production company. In addition to his responsibilities for digital communications, Scippa has been the executive editor of ConocoPhillips spirit Magazine, a quarterly glossy publication distributed to employees and retirees around the world and posted on the company’s website.

Ray lives in Houston with his wife Ellen. He has three daughters, Carmen, Ashley and Isabella, and one granddaughter, Aria.

ConocoPhillips is the world’s largest independent energy and power company based on production and proved reserves. It operates in 17 countries with 11,100 people in a truly integrated way to find and produce oil and natural gas.