C. J. "Pete" Silas

Pete Silas graduated from Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He joined Phillips Petroleum Co. in 1953.

In 1968 he moved to Brussels, Belgium, and then London England as Senior Operations Officer for Phillips in Europe and Africa. He immediately became involved with the huge Ekofisk development offshore Norway. Under his direction, the multi-structure field development proceeded including construction and installation of the unique Ekofisk Concrete gravity-base structure tank. In conjunction with the successful completion of this project Silas was awarded the Order of St. Olaf, Commander, by the Norwegian Government.

Returning to the US in 1977, Silas became Phillips’ VP for Gas and Liquids. He was elected President of the company in 1982, and Chairman in 1985 where he served until his retirement in 1994.

Silas is a business and civic leader at local, state and national levels, including service as Chairman of Junior Achievement, National Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the US Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute (API).