Bruce Dingeman.

At a science fair in western South Dakota, young Bruce Dingeman presented his biomedical research. "I was doing work on laboratory rats," he recalls, "doing hyperbaric oxygen treatment to increase healing rates."

However, the Arab oil embargo steered his interest in science toward petroleum engineering, studying at the University of Wyoming. Dingeman (pronounced like "sing-a-man") worked in Alaska during the '80s, and after the Cold War he taught capitalism in Russia.

In his career, he's seen the expansion into deep offshore fields, the boom in shale oil, and the transition to alternative energy. As the Alaska president of Santos, Dingeman has overseen faster changes.

"Until late last year, I could walk the hall and know the name of every person in the organization," he says, "but now I don't have that level of familiarity because of all this growth." Construction on the Pikka project swelled the staff from a handful in 2018 to, as of last year, about 200, plus 1,000 contractors. Thus, Santos is moving into larger quarters in downtown Anchorage.

"Not being stagnant, not standing still," Dingeman says, "really drives a good day for me."

Alaska Business: What do you do in your free time?

Bruce Dingeman: I buy all the gear but rarely use it, like any good imposter pretending to have free time... Doesn't matter if it's camping, fishing, hiking, skiing, whatever.

AB: Is there a skill you're currently developing or have always wanted to learn?

Dingeman: I'm trying to learn to paint, and the feedback I've gotten varies from "That's unique" to "How interesting."

AB: What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

Dingeman: A big pile of pig manure really can look like a gravel ramp to a kid on a motorbike, and I'll leave it at that.

AB: What are you superstitious about?

Dingeman: Vegas has proven to me that superstitions don't work.

AB: What's your favorite local restaurant?

Dingeman: I like the chicken tikka masala at Everest, I like the pad thai at Thai Orchid, and the nachos at Southside Bistro.

AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?

Dingeman: Tom Petty.

AB: What's your greatest extravagance?

Dingeman: I take every opportunity to buy nice [woodworking] tools, whether I need them or not.

AB: What's your best attribute and worst attribute?

Dingeman: My worst is that I'm a champion overthinker. My best is that, in spite of that, I'm not afraid to make decisions.

What book is currently on your nightstand?

Wish I could say something impressive here, but I haven't touched one in longer than a streaming binge lasts [he laughs].

What charity or cause are you passionate about?

ANSEP, the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program.

What's the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?

I turn into a couch potato, preferably with snacks in reach.

What vacation spot is on your bucket list?

The Maldives before the ocean swallows them.

If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?

I wouldn't. They belong in their natural habitat.