Together with the North Sea Transition Authority, we were delighted to hold our Vision 2030 event. More than 80 people joined us at Union Kirk, Aberdeen on Tuesday 1st October 2024 to network and learn from industry leaders on their vision for a gender balanced and sustainable industry.
The Panel
David Whitehouse: CEO of Offshore Energies UK
Stuart Payne: CEO of North Sea Transition Authority
Claire Mack: CEO of Scottish Renewables
Myrtle Dawes: CEO of Net Zero Technology Centre
Introductions, Conclusions and Group Representatives
Emma Behjat: Opening Address and Keynote Speaker, AXIS Network Co-Chair and Technical Sales Manager – Wood
Karen Blanc: Facilitator, Global VP for Inclusion & Belonging—Kent
L to R: Karen Blanc, David Whitehouse, Myrtle Dawes, Claire Mack, Stuart Payne, Emma Behjat
Emma opened the event by inviting the audience to consider a world where AXIS Network does not exist as the challenge of gender balance in the industry has been achieved. She made the business case for why gender balance matters and shared that a 5% increase in the number of women working in the energy industry could increase GDP by up to £125 billion per year. She asked the audience: ‘What does your image of the future look like for this industry?’ and invited them to share in AXIS Network’s vision:
‘Imagine an industry where our workforce are thriving with one of the lowest absentee rates possible.’
‘Imagine an industry where people competed to work here because our work life balance was second to none.’
‘Imagine an industry where parents and carers were respected for taking leave.’
‘Imagine an industry where leaders were measured on the diversity of their teams and how inclusive their companies were.’
‘Imagine an industry that was held up as a world class example of what others should achieve.’
‘This is what we should be aspiring for.’
Emma presented AXIS Network’s strategy for how we can get there and you can view this here.
The Future of D&I: A Competitive Edge for 2030
The discussion from the panel focused on the fluid nature of the workforce and the need for continuous adaptation to diversity dynamics to address the skills gap required for the energy transition. Some key points included the importance of broadening diversity metrics to include disability and social mobility and the need for metrics and data for decision making. The conversation also focused on the importance of inclusive leadership, measurable performance and the role of the gender pay gap in supporting gender balance. David said:
We need a real vision for future; no way won’t achieve that without gender inclusivity at its core. We must take it seriously.
All panellists emphasised the evolving landscape of D&I and its impact on future success. Claire highlighted that hitting targets requires the right people and visibility across the industry and Myrtle shared that inclusion will become more exciting and collaborative, especially as the industry moves towards the energy transition and Net Zero.
Myrtle also suggested that we can learn for other industries, pointing out that the mining sector is committed to achieving 40% female representation and is focusing on diverse age demographics. She also mentioned that there is a growing recognition of the importance of campaigning for other diversity characteristics, such as disability and socio-economic class, rather than solely focusing on gender.
David stressed the importance of attracting the right talent, whilst Stuart mentioned the role that culture plays and how its shaped by individual behaviours. He stated that positive behaviours are crucial and that within the NSTA, those failing to meet them may face consequences in their performance reviews. This led the discussion on to whether mandates were helpful and David suggested that mandates are less effective than intrinsic motivation driven by the organisation's values.
Myrtle acknowledged the reality of tokenism, stating that it still makes a difference if you’re the only person in your demographic in the room, however, the focus should always remain on making the right decisions and maintaining results-based evaluations. Claire also emphasised the importance of visibility of strong female leaders and the positive impact of reverse mentoring.
Stuart concluded that managing the energy transition is challenging, and every unaddressed negative joke can significantly impact an organisation’s credibility.
Several tangible solutions were suggested by the panellists in response to what we need to do to achieve gender balance by 2030. These included:
Ensuring you have a strategy that is supported and implemented
Learning from other sectors
Engaging new voices in diversity conversations
Exploring ways to track and measure progress on diversity and inclusion more effectively
Reviewing training and mentorship programs to address skills gaps and shortage
Implementing behaviour-based performance management to reinforce an inclusive culture
Increasing visibility and opportunities for aspiring leaders from underrepresented groups.
Karen asked how we can all walk out this room and take action:
Stuart: Find three people and tell them why you came [to this event]. Don’t frame it as a women's issue; frame it as an initiative to help deliver complex, challenging exciting engineering
Claire: It’s very important to measure what is having an impact and make sure this issue is talked through social media and other communication channels
Myrtle: Ensure cross-sector learning; adopt simple but effective initiatives like Vision 2030 strategy
David: Call out where people get are getting it wrong; ensure you have allies and a strategy, assess it.
Claire went on to state that even as an individual there’s always something you can bring that’s unique to you. She went on to say:
‘Being able to attract and retain everybody that we need as a sector means we have to be open and visible and attractive.’
Stuart was praised on his commitment to gender balance within the NSTA and spoke about selecting the best person for the job:
‘Not one of those people on the board or the leadership team of the organisation, either male or female, thinks they were selected on the grounds of gender. Which means they know they got their job because we thought they were the coolest person for the job. How great is that?’
To tap into this enhanced profitability, decision making and innovation we must ensure our energy industry is a vibrant and inclusive place to work. We need to be the coolest industry to work in. Vision 2030 is our opportunity to be credible, to be attractive, both as employers and as an industry. This is our opportunity to make this vision a reality. Let’s make that happen.