Energy Sector Heroes ~ Careers in Oil & Gas, Sustainability & Renewable Energy

For anyone working in energy or considering where their career might take them next technical knowledge is only part of the picture. The sector increasingly sits at the intersection of technology, economics, infrastructure, geopolitics and digitalisation. Understanding how those pieces connect can be just as valuable as knowing one technology in depth.In this episode of Energy Sector Heroes, I speak with Edmund Hain, an engineer and business development professional with more than 25 years of experience across technology, IT, IoT and industrial markets.We discuss why Edmund believes energy professionals need to think beyond individual technologies and understand the wider systems they operate within. Using smart grids as an example, we explore how solar generation, battery storage, smart meters, electric vehicles and software can work together and why decisions about energy infrastructure are as much economic and geopolitical as they are technical.We also talk about what this means for people building careers in energy.Edmund challenges the idea that everyone needs to become a narrow specialist. Instead, he makes the case for developing enough breadth to understand how different disciplines connect, while knowing when to bring in deeper technical expertise.🤖 We also spend time on AI particularly the difference between using AI and simply trusting it.Edmund shares how he uses AI professionally to accelerate complex work, but stresses that useful results depend on the knowledge of the person asking the questions. Without context, clear requirements and the ability to challenge an answer, AI can just as easily send someone in the wrong direction.Three Key Takeaways🔹 Energy problems need systems thinking.Smart grids demonstrate how generation, storage, buildings, vehicles, software, economics and infrastructure decisions increasingly overlap. Understanding those relationships can be valuable even if you aren't the technical specialist in every area.🔹 AI works better when you already understand the problem.AI can dramatically reduce the time required to research, structure and evaluate information, but professional judgement still matters. Knowing what to ask and recognising when an answer doesn't make sense remains important.🔹 Career breadth can create adaptability.Edmund argues that moving between companies, teams, technologies or business units can expose you to different ways of solving problems. For people entering energy today, that breadth can help them navigate a sector that continues to change.Three Actionable Takeaways⚡ Map the wider system around your role.Choose one project or technology you currently work with and identify the technical, commercial, regulatory and operational factors that influence it. You don't need to become an expert in all of them start by understanding how they connect.⚡ Give AI requirements, not just questions.Before using an AI tool for professional research, define what you actually need, the constraints that matter and the type of evidence you want. Then review the output using your own knowledge rather than accepting it automatically.⚡ Build career breadth deliberately.Look at what your current role isn't teaching you. That could mean another discipline, business unit, project phase, technology or organisation. Make your next development decision around filling one of those gaps rather than simply collecting another job title.

For anyone building a career in energy — whether you’re a graduate trying to get your first opportunity, an experienced professional adapting to new technology, or someone wondering where the industry is heading — the skills we develop now will matter enormously over the coming years.In this episode of Energy Sector Heroes, I’m joined by Simon Seaton, CEO of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), to talk about the changing energy workforce, the impact of AI, the challenge facing new graduates and why engineering skills will remain important well beyond traditional oil and gas.Simon has spent 35 years in industry and is now in his fourth year leading SPE. We discuss what he has seen change since we last spoke, including the pressures facing the sector, changing employment patterns and the role professional organisations can play in keeping technical knowledge and professional networks alive.🎓 Getting into the energy industryWe talk openly about the challenges graduates can face when looking for that first role. Simon makes the point that a degree alone may not be enough. Building relationships, attending industry events, taking internships and sometimes accepting a role that gets you into the right environment can all help create a route into the career you ultimately want.We also discuss why graduates increasingly need to demonstrate something beyond their core qualification — whether that's an understanding of AI, carbon capture, geothermal, critical minerals or other technologies shaping the future energy system.🤖 AI, productivity and the changing workforceAI is already changing how technical professionals find information and carry out everyday work, but Simon doesn't see the story simply as AI replacing engineers.Instead, we discuss how technology allows organisations to achieve more with fewer people and why professionals who learn how to work effectively with AI could have an advantage.Simon also shares what SPE is developing, including an AI knowledge assistant designed to draw on SPE's technical papers, journals, books and conference material while providing references back to the original technical sources.🌍 Where will the engineering jobs of the future come from?Oil and gas remains part of the discussion, but we look much further ahead.Simon explains why petroleum engineering and other technical disciplines can transfer into geothermal, carbon capture and storage, critical minerals and other emerging areas of energy.That raises a bigger issue: are enough young people choosing STEM subjects to provide the engineers and technical professionals required to deliver the infrastructure of the future?We discuss the importance of role models, schools, families and the industry's own responsibility to show younger generations what engineering careers actually involve.Three Key Takeaways🔹 Engineering skills are becoming broader, not obsolete. Skills developed in oil and gas can increasingly transfer into geothermal, CCUS, critical minerals and other areas of the evolving energy system.🔹 AI literacy is becoming part of professional competence. The opportunity isn't simply to compete against AI, but to understand how to use it alongside trusted technical information, engineering judgement and experience.🔹 Careers rarely follow a perfect route. Your first opportunity may not be your ideal job. Building experience, relationships and exposure to the industry can create opportunities that aren't obvious at the beginning.Three Actionable Takeaways✅ Build your network before you need it. Attend technical events, SPE meetings and industry conferences, speak to people outside your immediate discipline and stay connected afterwards.✅ Add one emerging skill to your existing expertise. Start developing practical knowledge of AI, geothermal, CCUS, critical minerals or another area that complements your core engineering background.✅ Create more than one route into the industry. If your ideal position isn't available immediately, consider adjacent roles, internships, projects or disciplines that give you relevant experience and access to the organisations where you ultimately want to work.

For anyone building a career in energy, considering starting a business, or wondering whether their career has to follow a conventional route, this episode looks at what actually matters over the long term: learning, commitment, relationships, commercial awareness and being prepared to adapt when circumstances change.In this episode of Energy Sector Heroes, I’m joined by Mark Skinner, Managing Director of Scotchbridge, a business operating from Singapore and Aberdeen that helps UK companies develop opportunities across Southeast Asia.Mark’s career didn’t begin with university or a carefully mapped-out plan. He left school at 16, started work as a motor mechanic and later moved into industries including distilling, paper and oil & gas. He learned much of what he knows by working alongside experienced people, eventually becoming a business owner and helping grow John Bell Pipeline before selling the company in 2017.We talk about what that experience taught him and why learning through other people, doing the work and paying attention to how businesses operate can be just as important as formal development.🌏 We also explore international growth and Southeast Asia. Mark explains why Scotchbridge focused on the ASEAN region and discusses opportunities across markets including Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia. We look at what companies need before trying to enter a new market—including research, resources, connections and the stamina to stay with it.💼 Entrepreneurship is another major part of our conversation. Mark is very clear that running a business requires more than having an idea. We discuss researching whether customers actually want what you're offering, finding a point of difference, having enough funding to survive periods without sales and understanding the sacrifices that can come with owning a business.We also talk about something that can easily get overlooked: knowing when to switch off. Mark works with business owners and managing directors and explains why constantly working isn't sustainable—and why burnout ultimately doesn't help the individual, their employees or their clients.🎓 For graduates and people earlier in their careers, we discuss choosing employers carefully, learning from experienced colleagues, finding mentors and giving yourself enough time within an organisation to understand how a business actually works. Mark also shares his perspective on frequent job-hopping and why employers may value evidence of commitment and development.And we talk about mistakes. Rather than pretending they can be avoided, Mark discusses learning from them, not repeatedly making the same ones and having people around you who can offer both encouragement and constructive feedback.Three Key Takeaways🔹 Your career doesn't have to follow a predetermined route. Mark moved from being a motor mechanic to working across industry, becoming a business owner and eventually developing companies internationally. What mattered was continuing to learn and applying himself as opportunities emerged.🔹 Research comes before assumption. Whether you're starting a company or entering an international market, enthusiasm alone isn't enough. Speak to customers, buyers and end users, understand the market and establish whether there is a genuine need for what you're offering.🔹 Relationships accelerate learning. Mentors, experienced colleagues and professional connections can give you knowledge that is difficult to acquire alone. You don't necessarily need a mentor who has followed exactly the same career—they need experience and the ability to challenge and support you.Three Actionable Takeaways✅ Test an idea before investing heavily in it. If you're considering a business or new service, speak directly with potential customers and end users. Ask what they currently use, what isn't working and whether your proposed solution solves a problem they would actually pay to address.✅ Identify someone you can learn from. Look within your company or professional network for someone with more experience who is willing to share what they've learned. Ask specific questions rather than simply asking them to "be your mentor."✅ Audit where you're putting your effort. Being busy isn't the same as being effective. Look at what you're doing each week and identify which activities are actually developing your skills, strengthening customer relationships or moving your career or business forward.

This week on Energy Sector Heroes, I’m joined by Neal Turluck, a geologist and president of S&S Oil and Gas. Neal shares his journey through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship in the oil and gas industry. If you’re navigating career risks, managing uncertainty, or just curious about the geology behind energy production, this conversation offers relatable insights and strategies.Key Takeaways:📘 Learn from Failures, Not Just SuccessesFailures are inevitable but invaluable. Seek feedback, self-analyze, and use your network to avoid repeating mistakes.🌐 Build a Strong NetworkSurround yourself with mentors and peers who challenge and support you. A reliable network is crucial for growth and problem-solving.🎯 Focus and SpecializeHone a specific skill set to stand out in competitive fields. Whether in geology, engineering, or business, being a subject matter expert will open doors.

The energy sector is changing quickly, but one thing hasn't changed: the value of building strong relationships, continuing to learn, and being open to new opportunities. Whether you're a graduate taking your first steps into the industry or an experienced professional thinking about your next move, this conversation is a reminder that technical ability alone isn't enough. Your network, communication skills and willingness to keep learning can shape your career just as much as your qualifications.In this episode, I speak with Donald Burris, Chief Technical Advisor in Marine Engineering, about the lessons he's learned throughout his career, why professional networking has been central to every career move he's made, and how young professionals can build long term careers without trying to map out every detail from day one.🔹 Three key takeaways🔹 Your network is one of your biggest career assets. Donald explains how every career move after his first role came through people he had met by actively participating in professional societies and industry events rather than through traditional job applications.🔹 Don't feel you need to have your entire career planned. Technology, AI and the wider energy sector continue to evolve. Instead of locking yourself into a rigid plan, stay adaptable and keep developing new skills as opportunities emerge.🔹 Leadership starts long before you become a manager. Communication, volunteering, mentoring and taking on responsibilities outside your technical role all help prepare you for future leadership positions.✅ Three actionable takeaways✔️ Join one professional institution or industry society and attend meetings consistently even if you don't know anyone yet.✔️ Volunteer for opportunities that stretch your communication skills, whether that's presenting at work, introducing a speaker or helping organise an event.✔️ Review your career direction every year rather than trying to create a fixed 10 year plan. Stay open to new technologies, industries and opportunities as they develop.If you're looking to build your career in the energy sector, this episode offers practical advice on networking, mentoring, leadership and developing the skills that will help you adapt as the industry continues to evolve.