Feature Stories
ConocoPhillips employee Tristen Heitmeyer, based in Bartlesville, Okla., was among the 2022 Development Series participants.
KEY POINTS:
- Learning event featured 39 sessions, more than 65 speakers
- ‘My Life. My Career. My Company’ fuels workforce productivity, wellness
- More than 4,000 employees participated in project updates, informational sessions, networking
BY GUS MORGAN
At ConocoPhillips, learning is an integral part of the company’s culture, a differentiating characteristic that lures top talent like Texas A&M University petroleum engineering graduate Lauren Borden, who joined ConocoPhillips in 2020.
As an early career professional w orking as an Eagle Ford Reservoir Engineer , Lauren has relished her initial years at ConocoPhillips, learning the ins and outs of one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies. But integrating into a company as complex and dynamic as ConocoPhillips takes time and support.
So to Lauren, the 2022 Development Series — “Developing Who We Are: My Life. My Career. My Company.” — delivered just what she was looking for: an opportunity to level up professionally and personally.
Hosted across Houston, Bartlesville, Midland and Anchorage in October, this three-week series featured 39 in-person and virtual presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities.
For Lauren, the series served as the perfect complement to the company’s on-the-job training, feedback and mentoring.
“The series represents the company’s care for our career development,” she said, “as well as our safety and well-being.”
Lauren especially enjoyed hearing from ConocoPhillips' internal experts, as they passed along their experience and insight into how the company operates, a knowledge base of incredible depth, experts eager to share their learnings with others, acting as intellectual catalysts to spur the company's productivity.
For instance, Lauren, who also holds a certificate in finance from A&M’s Mays School of Business, benefited from the insight provided during the “Fireside Chat with Phil Gresh,” who is Vice President, Investor Relations.
Phil, a former Wall Street analyst, discussed the company’s analyst calls, explaining how they work and their importance to the business and stakeholders.
Such expertise was bountiful during the Development Series, providing employees like Lauren a window into the company’s inner workings, a real-world educational component that sharpened her business acumen.
“Such opportunities provided me with a better understanding of many areas of the business,” she said.
'A workplace where our people can grow professionally and personally'
Heather Sirdashney, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Real Estate & Facility Services, said the Development Series reflects the company’s learning culture.
“Our Development Series is designed to drive our performance,” she said, “and help us create a workplace where our people can grow professionally and personally.”
Stacey Seymour, Talent Strategy & Development Manager, said engaging, developing, retaining and rewarding the company’s employees is a top priority, and the company's Development Series is just one of the ways that ConocoPhillips helps employees reach their full potential.
“Our innovative culture means there’s lot of opportunities for personal and professional development,” Stacey said.
‘Growing my expertise as well as my professional network’
Based in Anchorage, Alaska, and supporting the company's North Slope operations including Kuparuk, Alpine and Willow, Robert Cookson, Operations & Maintenance Analyst, likes how the Development Series always delivers a variety of learning opportunities.
Whether it’s technical or soft skills, I always walk away learning something new.
“Whether it’s technical or soft skills, I always walk away learning something new,” said Robert, who has a bachelor's degree in anthropology from Colorado State University and a master's degree in data analytics from the University of Houston.
“To go one step further," said Robert, who joined ConocoPhillips in 2013, "the Development Series also highlights who I can reach out to if I want to learn more about various topics, growing my expertise as well as my professional network.”
‘Helping us with our own personal development’
Based in Bartlesville, Okla., Mariana Guerrero, Staff Analyst, Property Maintenance, found the Development Series informative and educational, participating in sessions such as “What’s New in LNG,” “Digital Strategy & Cybersecurity” and “Permian Strategic Partnership.”
“The Development Series is a great example of how ConocoPhillips is committed to providing us with the updates and resources necessary to help us stay tuned with the company’s business initiatives as well as helping us with our own personal development,” said Mariana, who started working for the company as a co-op student while attending Oklahoma Wesleyan University in June 2014, before joining the company full-time in 2015 after graduating.
From ‘technical’ to ‘non-technical’ and everything in between
For Graduate Geologist Sean Romito, the Development Series gave the Midland-based new hire the opportunity to peek beyond the Permian, enabling him to feel more connected to the company and all its parts.
“The value of the series came down to gaining a better sense of how my work fits into our greater operation and learning about a lot of different topics,” he said. “I was especially excited by the variety; technical, non-technical, and somewhere in-between.”
Sean attended a session called “Developing Different Minds” with autism and neurodiversity advocate Temple Grandin, who emphasized the need for more neurodiversity in industry.
In another session hosted by Steve Bross, Vice President of Willow & Exploration, Sean learned about the company’s Willow Project in Alaska, before switching gears to listen to Aaron Hunter, Delaware Basin Vice President, discuss the company’s Permian business and operations.
Career Development
“ConocoPhillips understands that developing and upskilling employees is important for success,” said Sean, who earned his doctorate in geology from the University of Houston before joining ConocoPhillips in 2022. “My supervisor has made a point to encourage me to attend trainings and courses that fit with my career development plan.”
And while the plethora of career development opportunities played a role in Sean’s decision to come to work for ConocoPhillips, he said something else swayed him even more: the people.
“I can genuinely say I’ve enjoyed working with everyone,” he said, “and I've learned a lot from them, too.”
‘A sense of belonging’
Colombia native Paula Tocora, who joined ConocoPhillips in January 2022, said the Development Series gave her the opportunity to learn more about the company and its various projects and initiatives.
The wellness and work-life balance sessions reminded me of the importance of taking care of myself and my health to be successful in my career.
“It was also a unique opportunity to learn more about the various tools available in the company that I can use to enhance my personal and professional skills,” said Paula, a Midland-based Environmental Engineer for the New Mexico Emissions Group (Regulatory and Compliance). “And the wellness and work-life balance sessions reminded me of the importance of taking care of myself and my health to be successful in my career. The series also gave me a sense of belonging and provided me with the opportunity to know the various growth opportunities within the organization to help the business succeed.”
Since Paula joined the company, she’s participated in numerous trainings and learning opportunities like the Mentor Match program that connects ConocoPhillips employees in career or peer mentoring relationships.
“I enjoy working with my team because they are always open for questions and new ideas,” she said. “In fact, I decided to start a Master’s in Environmental and Energy Law in Spring 2023 at Texas A&M as a result of having found a career path here, and the opportunity to continue growing professionally within the company.”
What they're saying about the Development Series
“The Development Series provided me an opportunity to learn about different parts of the business that I otherwise wouldn’t have exposure to. There were several personal development sessions that reinformed the importance of things like getting enough sleep, staying connected through our Employee Resource Groups and balancing work with commitments outside of work.
“The Development Series is one of the many valuable opportunities ConocoPhillips employees are provided to hear from internal and external leaders and peers on an array of topics focusing on the continued development of its world-class workforce. I had an opportunity to participate on a diverse Talent Management Team & Career Exploration panel in which we shared our personal career experiences and provided insight to the participants on navigating their career and how to take advantage of the many resources available. Additionally, the participants were able to walk away from the session hearing about various paths for sustained careers at ConocoPhillips.
“The Development Series is a great opportunity for ConocoPhillips' staff to take time out to focus on their personal and professional development. My experience is that growth is only possible with focus and intentionality.
“The Development Series provides unique opportunities for presenters and training instructors to interact with employees on a broader range of topics and at a different level than a typical training class. The sessions are spread out over time and scheduled in a concise manner that allows employees to attend several while minimizing potential impacts on their work.
“The Development Series offers all employees equal opportunities to grow in their career while understanding the company’s direction. I particularly valued the psychological safety training, as it helps create an environment where everyone’s opinion is heard and respected. As a lead, I encourage my team to use every tool the company offers for our own development. This series is a great option for all of us!