The Oil Industrys Best-kept Secret - A book full of inspiration and advice

Our industry is still a male- dominated environment. I don’t mean that in a negative way, but it is factual. Things are nevertheless changing. There is more focus in companies, not just on gender diversity, but on diversity per se and looking at our own unconscious biases when we are recruiting, evaluating and developing our people. It’s important to have diversity in your team. When I’m appointing someone, I look for a person that’s a good fit for the job, the team and the company. My aim is to maintain diverse teams, not just in terms of gender and ethnicity but also in the way people think. It’s a common mistake among managers to hire or promote people like ourselves. In my view the best teams are made up of a real mix of people with different approaches and styles, but all with the right attitude.

Where educated: Thurso High School, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Strathclyde Universities.

client base, and having worked in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, it was exciting to be involved in an international industry. When I first joined the industry, I’d go to social occasions with friends who already worked in oil & gas and there would be people from 20 different countries there. It was clear that that the industry offered so many opportunities. My career path has involved me stepping outside of my comfort zone of legal and managing cross- discipline teams. You need different skills sets for managing different areas of responsibility but it is a really good way to understand the business from outside your own discipline. This has been invaluable in taking me to the next stage of my career and my new role at Spirit Energy. You have to be ready to take on new challenges.

First job: Working in a newsagent

Advice to your 15-year- old self? Don’t feel you need to have your whole career mapped out. Things will happen, and opportunities will come along. A moment of inspiration? When I was 13 years old, working in a newsagent, I remember receiving my first pay packet and thinking: ‘Wow, you get rewarded when you do a good job.’ I always want to do things well – I think it reflects how I was brought up.

“I aim to maintain diverse teams, not just in terms of gender and ethnicity but also in the way people think”

Master of Laws Commerical Law

2005

Senior Legal Advisor Maersk Oil

Legal Director Maersk Oil

General Counsel Spirit Energy

2018

2006

2009

THE OIL INDUSTRY'S BEST-KEPT SECRET

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