Get to know the faces that are working hard behind the scenes to unleash your data’s potential.

This month for our Face Behind the Data profile series, we are pleased to introduce Floyd “Trey” Broussard, Chief Technology Officer at Katalyst Data Management.

With nearly three decades in software innovation, data context, and UX strategy — the majority built over a 25-year career at SLB (formerly Schlumberger) — Trey now leads AI strategy and innovation at Katalyst, combining deep technical grounding with a passion for turning emerging technology into tools people actually want to use.

Name: Floyd “Trey” Broussard
Title: Chief Technology Officer, Katalyst Data Management

What is your educational and work experience background?

I studied at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette before starting my career in software support and data management in the late ‘90s. That led to a 25-year career at SLB (formerly Schlumberger), spanning data management, global Information Management product portfolio leadership, innovation, IT transformation, and division-wide UX strategy. After SLB, I worked as an independent AI consultant before joining Katalyst in 2025 as Director of Innovation, then stepping into the CTO role in 2026. 

What are some of the highlights of your career?

The two biggest highlights of my early career were leading SLB’s global Information Management portfolio and creating the Petrel Studio portfolio — taking the Studio E&P Knowledge Environment from concept to commercialization, turning a single-user product into a collaborative one and roughly doubling its revenue within three years. 

I’m also proud of leading Schlumberger’s IT UX Center of Excellence behind a $1B+ global SAP rollout touching over 94,000 users, building SLB’s first company-wide UX Leadership team of 150+ practitioners, and bringing LUMA-certified Design Thinking training to more than 4,000 people globally. 

That stretch also produced number of patents and publications on “Data in Context” — surfacing data within the workflow where it’s used, essentially the same core problem AI systems need to solve today. 

Did you grow up wanting to be a data manager?

Not many people dream of subsurface data management in high school — I didn’t either. What I did have was a passion for making the right thing the easiest thing for users inside complex systems, and an interest in using technology and context to find the best information to solve a problem — incredibly relevant to AI today. 

How did you get here?

A 25-year career at SLB let me work across nearly every layer of the data and software business, from hands-on data management to building an enterprise UX practice from scratch. Going independent let me apply that experience to helping companies use AI strategically. That work brought me to Katalyst, first as Director of Innovation and now as CTO, where I help set the AI and innovation direction across the organization.

What are some big lessons learned and/or challenges faced along the way?

If there’s one lesson that’s carried across every role, it’s this: stay relentless about the “why,” and stay loose about the what and how. Every role has sharpened the same instinct — hold the destination loosely enough to adapt but never let go of why you’re headed there. That takes a genuine comfort with change; the technology, tools, and constraints keep shifting, especially with AI moving this fast. The people who thrive treat that as normal, not as a disruption. One last lesion – Be impatient, time is fleeting, always have a bias for action – it separates great outcomes from great ideas. 

What advice do you have for people beginning their career?

Get hands-on and stay curious. Some of my best work came from experimenting directly with new technology rather than waiting for a perfect plan — that’s still how I approach AI today. Don’t be afraid to take on ambiguous problems where the answer isn’t obvious; that’s usually where the best innovation comes from. And build relationships across the business, not just within your technical discipline. 

What are some of your favorite things to do and/or places to visit outside of work?

My wife and I really enjoy travel, and a career in oil and gas has taken me to many amazing places. With two of our kids graduating university this year, another now a junior (who also interned with us at Katalyst this summer), and another a sophomore, I’m looking forward to sharing more travel with them. My other hobby these days is diving deep into AI and agentic coding — the pace of it is remarkable, and genuinely fun.