Paul T.
About me
| Paul T. | |
| Physics | |
| Physics and Computer Science | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 1977 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Ex-CEO now Senior Advisor, Board Chairman | |
| Royal Dutch Shell, Interconnector UK, Global Infrastructure Partners | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Environment and energy | |
| Medium-size business (50-249 employees) | |
| 2010 |
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A day in the life of a Ex-CEO now Senior Advisor, Board Chairman in the United Kingdom
My career goals when I graduated
Employment which maintained options for the future
Reasonable salary
Travel opportunities
My career history
Note: 1-7 different jobs in the same group of companies in the energy sector
1) Joined as an operations research analyst (modelling business as part of internal advice group) - provided an opportunity to look at different parts of the business
2) joined a commercial team in London
3) worked as Planning Manager then Commercial Manager in New Zealand
4) General Manager for a marketing company in Central America
5) Marketing Director of a pipeline company, then a distribution company in S. America
6) Head of a production and marketing company in S.America
7) Sales and Marketing VP then CEO of energy company in Europe
8) Early retirement after 32 years
9) Senior (energy) advisor to a global infrastructure fund, Chairman of the Board of a pipeline company, advisor to an Irish energy marketer, head of the energy panel of a chamber of commerce, advisory board member to Carbon Connect.
What has helped my career to progress
Flexibility and open to new challenges
Communication skills
Luck - right place, right time
Courses taken since graduation
Insead Senior Management Development Program
How my studies have helped my career
Physics trained me in a logical approach to problem solving and maintaining an open mind
What surprised me about my career so far
I have been places and achieved things I could never have anticipated when I started work.
The friends I made at the start of my career are strong friends 35 years on.
The satisfaction one achieves through helping others develop and achieve.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
Still advising
My advice to students considering work
1) cast the net wide and apply for many jobs in parallel
2) attend employment fairs, open days just to get a feel for what a job entails and what sort of employer they are
3) conduct dry run/mock interviews - train hard, fight easy!
4) tailor your CV to the job being applied for and put yourself in the employer's shoes when thinking what to say.
5) think about what differentiates you from the crowd - have 2 sentence summary which stands out and impresses. You do not have much time to impress.
6) remember employers aren't going to approach you.. you need to get out there and approach them!
About this sector: The energy sector is undergoing major change so there is great potential for innovation as we move away from hydrocarbon and as IT/the Cloud acts as a game changer. That said, oil, gas and coal will still be needed for some time and there are immense challenges to meeting energy needs and transitioning to a more sustainable energy mix. Efficient use of energy is another major growth area ripe for innovation.
My advice about working in my industry
The energy sector is undergoing major change so there is great potential for innovation as we move away from hydrocarbon and as IT/the Cloud acts as a game changer. That said, oil, gas and coal will still be needed for some time and there are immense challenges to meeting energy needs and transitioning to a more sustainable energy mix. Efficient use of energy is another major growth area ripe for innovation.
What I do
Senior advisor: review investment objectives and strategy for the partners (managers) of the fund. Contribute to the execution of individual asset acquisitions and divestments. Use my personal network to help identify and consider potential acquisitions.
Chairman: coach and develop the CEO, challenge the management team, contribute to the definition of the strategic objectives of the company. Ensure compliance and adherence to the ethical and other company standards. Discuss company strategy and performance with the owners and agree the way forward.
Skills I use and how I developed them
Extracurricular skills:
0) communication - being able to hear and understand what people are really saying and to help them hear and understand me too.
1) analytical skills - able to assess the viability and risk associated with projects - this has built on my physics/computing undergraduate work in terms of how one approaches a problem, logic etc.
2) financial skills - how thread a balance sheet, P&L, financing etc. - internal courses
3) IT tools - unglamorous but a great enabler - self teaching, internal courses
4) management skills - leadership, team work, strategic thinking, line management - on the job, internal courses
5) commercial and negotiation skills - external courses, internal courses, on-the job, coaching from "champion".
6) Mentoring and advising - helping others help themselves without taking responsibility away from them. Watching people develop is the most rewarding part of the job
What I like most
1) I meet really interesting people from a very wide range of social and cultural backgrounds in a range of countries
2) I get to work in a hugely challenging and rewarding industry
3) The people I work with are fun
4) I get to choose what and on what I work.
What I like least
The commute.
What surprised me most
The fun element
Next steps...
If you like the look of Paul’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Paul a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Paul to be your mentor.