International Conference: Our CEO Discusses Transformation and Diversity at the 6th ARPEL Conference in Peru

The Association of Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Companies of Latin America and the Caribbean (ARPEL) held its sixth annual event from November 14 to 16, 2022, which brought together executives and experts of operating and supplying companies in the sector, recognised speakers and distinguished government authorities to share their vision on the present and future of a thriving industry that is key to the growth of the region.

CEO Arlene Chow was invited to participate on a ‘CEOs Panel’ discussing the transformation of oil and gas companies in the face of the energy transition and the new challenges of the sector. Moderated by ARPEL’s Executive Secretary, the panel also included NGC’s CEO, Mark Loquan and Staatsolie’s CEO, Annand Jagesar. The discussion touched on industry forecasts during the transition, and it was generally agreed that there was opportunity for the oil and gas sector to continue its progress regarding decarbonisation, and supporting a safe, reliable and environmentally friendlier energy provision.

The fast energy transition does not however mean that Latin America and the Caribbean will quit leveraging their hydrocarbon wealth as the future of energy will go hand in hand with oil and gas.

Arlene stressed to the audiences that the energy transition is “well underway but in developing/ emerging markets we must be thoughtful about how we manage through the pace of change and expectations across all stakeholders. We will continue to depend on oil and gas for the foreseeable future, but we will manage the transition carefully. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.”

This perspective was backed up by Annand Jagesar, Staatsoile’s CEO in Suriname, who emphasized that “Latin America deserves to guarantee its energy security by using fossil fuels.”

At the three-day event, Arlene was also invited to speak at a highly attended workshop, on "Diversity, Inclusion and Gender Equality in the Oil and Gas Industry". Discussing some of the challenges that oil and gas companies face today in terms of diversity, and in particular the inclusion of women, Arlene shared some of the concrete actions that we at Heritage have implemented to respond to these challenges.

“We take a multifaceted approach, bearing in mind that our recruitment policy specifically addresses discrimination and is aligned to the national draft gender policy that is being progressed. Under a Strategic HR Plan aligned to our Core Values (INSPIRE), half of the executive leadership team is female and at the senior management level, it’s roughly 52%. Two key roles (CEO/COO) are held by female; 11 of our 18 graduate trainees onboarded in 2021 are female and roughly 40% of staff are women.”

“Also, to help motivate and develop diverse talent, we have a confidential Employee Assistance Programme, we offer coaching support to emerging and established leaders, and mentoring is growing across the organisation. We will soon offer hybrid working. Finally, we ensure equitable pay for roles regardless of gender”.

In closing CEO expounded the values that she believes are key to succeeding. From authenticity to humility to working hard and smart and earning respect, every person, regardless of which diversity bucket they sit in, can achieve their full potential.