Pilko & Associates | George Pilko

"Keeping Clients Thrilled"

George Pilko

Position: Co-Founder and Chairman
Office: Houston, TX
Email: george@pilko.com
Phone: 713-357-0944
Mobile: 713-206-3000
Fax: 713-357-0990

Biography

George Pilko co-founded Pilko & Associates in 1980 with a simple idea: Do high quality consulting on EHS issues, keep clients “thrilled,” and attract staff who are committed to the same principles. The success of this philosophy shows in the numbers – to date the firm has assisted high profile chemical and energy clients in 57 countries on deals worth a combined total of $450+ billion.

“We began advocating that clients be proactive on EHS issues in the late 1980s,” he says, “and several CEOs told me at the time that we were crazy. Now with Sarbanes Oxley, the same companies are re-thinking Corporate Governance, and we have seen our consulting work in this area more than double.” George promotes a proactive approach with his many senior management contacts in the energy and chemicals industries, both in the U.S. and abroad—he’s always looking for ways to ‘push the envelope’ and anticipate changes.

One initiative that gives George great pride is his series of Client Roundtables, half-day meetings of senior executives and board members, which he hosts several times a year. “They’ve been very well received,” he says. “I don’t try to be a content expert – my job is to facilitate and make other people look brilliant. It’s fun to do, and clients get a lot out of them. Our last Roundtable went on for 3 ½ hours without a lull in the conversation, then continued non-stop through lunch.” These roundtables focus on EHS Corporate Governance issues or Avoiding Environmental Pitfalls During Acquisitions and Divestitures.

Well known in the industry, George has published articles in Directors & Boards and ICIS Chemical Business, and he has been quoted in publications that include The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Petroleum Economist, and Chemical Week. In 1993, the University of Michigan named him Chemical Engineering Graduate of the Year.

George and his wife have two sons, one in flight school with the U.S. Navy, and the other a banker in New York. Away from the office or client meetings, you’ll probably find George on a sailboat in scenic locations or behind a book. “At any one time,” he says, “I’m reading three or four books, typically history, geography, sailing, business strategy, personal improvement – it runs the gamut. It’s great fun.”

Education and Certifications

B.S. Chemical Engineering - University of Michigan
M.B.A. Finance - University of Michigan
Alumni Society Merit Award, 1993 - University of Michigan
Listed in Who's Who in Finance and Industry and Who's Who in the South and Southwest
Trustee - The Nature Conservancy of Texas
Board Member - The Houston Forum
Advisory Director - ICIS Chemical Business Magazine
Chairman - River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
Advisory Board Member - Erb Institute, University of Michigan