COVER STORY/
Leading the Change KEY ENERGY SERVICES FOCUSES ON THEIR EMPLOYEES
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s an industry leader in oilfield services, Key Energy Services has been part of the backbone of the energy production sector for more than 40 years. Led by President & CEO Marshall Dodson, Key oversees one of the largest well service rig fleet in the U.S. Dodson recently sat down with Well Servicing Magazine to discuss Key’s robust safety culture, his people-focused leadership style and how companies can flourish in the post-pandemic economic recovery. Dodson joined Key after a stint in the financial industry and found the inherent challenges of the business intriguing. “This is a capital and peopleintensive business with so many moving parts spread out over long distances,” Dodson said. “The people part of the industry has drawn me more into the business. We have a tremendous workforce; it is very hard work outside in the heat and cold, rain and snow, performed away from the comforts of home or office.”
“Our industry is one where someone who did not have the educational opportunities I did, can change the trajectory of their family’s lives with the skills they acquire through dedication and hard work. I have heard countless stories and met peo-
Well Servicing Magazine/March 2022
Safety Culture
To be successful in protecting the safety of employees, all companies must develop and implement a robust and sustainable safety culture that is pervasive throughout every level of the company. “Nothing is more important to me than the safety of our workforce and that of the communities that we live in and share the road with,” Dodson said.
“I am passionate about the people of our industry, and the good that our industry does for society. I want to do anything I can to champion that.”
An industry that changes from “just a job” to pay the bills to one that affords families and children the opportunities they might not have had otherwise is something to value, he said.
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ple who have proved it out.”
In order for this culture to materialize into the implementation of actual safety-improving processes, the organization must first fully understand the challenges that are posed from jobsite to jobsite. “We can have the best processes in the industry, with mitigation layered to keep people safe, but there is always a human element,” Dodson said. “I think that ensuring that our employees first know they have a voice and role in their own safety, but also understand why following the process is important, is a step in creating the right behaviors and culture.”
One barrier that companies often face in the development of an effective and comprehensive safety protocol is a disconnect between what “should” happen versus what “actually” happens. Without first-hand insight into the nitty gritty details of a job on the site, it can become common practice for a safety plan to hold up in theory alone. To remove the veil separating theory from practice, Dodson relies on the company’s most valuable assets for information: its people.
