“My job in management hasn’t changed much over the years, but the oil and gas industry certainly has.”

Neil Pickering (59), based in Aberdeen, works at Bureau Veritas – a testing, inspection and certification company for all industries ranging from oil and gas, to marine. He believes Aberdeen is primed and ready to use its historical oil and gas infrastructure to become a beacon in the move towards cleaner energy – leveraging the passion and skills of the next generation. 

When I took my first oil and gas job aged 24, it was an industry on the up. Today, 35 years later, it’s just as exciting, but in a whole new way. The transformation of the global oil and gas sector from fossil-based to cleaner forms of energy presents a huge opportunity to lead by example and play a key role in reaching important global climate goals.

I now work in management, but my route to where I am today actually started on the technical side. After school, I completed an apprenticeship at the ICI Wilton complex, an industrial hub in Redcar, North Yorkshire, close to where I grew up. During this time, I attended technical college, before completing a degree in management from Durham University. Since graduating, I’ve worked in management ever since, travelling extensively to most oil and gas regions of the world and spending time in Asia, Middle East, USA, Norway, Africa and across Europe. Today I’m based in Aberdeen, where I live with my wife and near to our children and grandchildren. If I’m not at work you’ll find me on the golf course, with the family or supporting my middle son with his fledgling coffee business. In 2019 we discovered our love of caravanning, so have been trying to get away as much as possible – ideally somewhere near a golf course!

I am a Global Strategic Sales Lead at Bureau Veritas. I’m proud to work for an organisation that recently announced am ambitious commitment to using climate science to set emissions targets, joining a group of leading companies who are committed to tackling climate change and paving the way to a future of net zero greenhouse gas emissions. As a member of this group, Bureau Veritas commits to aligning climate targets to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

We’re also part of Race to Zero, the UN-backed campaign led by the High-Level Champions for Climate Action. This global campaign looks to rally leadership and support from all non-state actors for a healthy, resilient, zero carbon recovery.

So, while my job in management hasn’t changed much over the years, the environment in which we’re working certainly has. I have always been receptive to new ways of working, technology and cultural changes, and as the generations have evolved and progressed, I would like to think my style of management has adapted in unison. 

Central to keeping up with the rapid pace of change is the next generation. I’m a huge advocate of promoting diversity and inclusion to ensure you have the best talent in your organisation. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time working with so many people from different backgrounds, cultures and career stages. In my previous role, before Bureau Veritas, I was responsible for the development and progression of graduates. Supporting and seeing a young person fulfilling their potential is a very rewarding thing to do.

I believe there is an opportunity for the Aberdeen region to become a beacon in the move towards net zero (the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere) and central to this will be nurturing the talent required to get us there.

There are lots of exciting projects already underway in Aberdeen that leave me feeling really positive about the future of energy. This includes the expansion of the harbour which will help facilitate offshore wind projects, as well as promoting a hydrogen economy in the city, including buses powered by hydrogen fuel, which burns cleaner than fossil fuels. 

My advice for anyone looking to start a career in the energy sector would be to look to the future and embrace the changes underway. I’d also encourage people to get involved in groups, societies or organisations outside your day job. This will provide you with a different perspective, outside your daily bubble.