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Diverse Panel Eyes Workplace Diversity

By CAROL McGOWEN, Regions and Sections Manager

The Professional Women in Earth Sciences’ (PROWESS) third Diversity Seminar luncheon – an examination of the economics of diversity from a geoscience employment perspective – is set for New Orleans during the AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition.

“The Economics of Diversity – Competing For and Leveraging Employee Diversity in a Global Petroleum Industry,” will be held at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 14, in the La Nouvelle Orleans Ballroom.

The panelists for this year’s program will not only examine the issues, dynamics and trends in today’s increasingly diverse petroleum industry, they themselves also reflect those changing demographics.

Today’s petroleum industry, after all, comprises a diverse set of employers, including small independents, mid-size exploration and production companies, integrated energy companies and national oil companies – not to mention the numerous service companies, government agencies and academic institutions that play a role in the exploration for and development of petroleum resources.

Not coincidentally, this year’s panelists – hailing from Saudi Arabia to Texas – represent the industry’s diversity, and they will share insights from their various perspectives, experiences and organizations on how diversity is viewed, managed and leveraged across our industry.

They’ll be discussing:

• How do geoscientists choose a company with which to begin their career?  
• What factors influence mid- and late-career professionals to stay with or change companies?
• What is the value of diversity to employers?
• Questions from the audience.

Panelists also will share insights from their various perspectives as men and women at different points in their careers; their experiences on how diversity is viewed, managed and leveraged across our industry.

Panelists include:

• Hussain Al-Otaibi, manager-exploration technical services, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; also president of the AAPG Middle East Region.
• Allyson Anderson, professional staff, U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Washington, D.C.
• Kim M. Bates, vice president-Americas, ExxonMobil Exploration, Houston.
• Allen Gilmer, CEO, Drilling Info Companies, Austin, Texas.
• Lorena Moscardelli, research associate, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin.
• Scott Sachs, vice president-geoscience, Northern Division, Chesapeake Energy, Oklahoma City.

For luncheon registration, which is sponsored by Chevron and AAPG member Sunday Shepherd, see www.aapg.org/neworleans/Luncheons.cfm .

A limited number of subsidized student tickets may be available.