Best Woman Oil and Gas Engineer
MICHELLE WELLSBURY Head of Technical and Professional Development,
Genesis Oil and Gas Consultants
First thing I did when I heard I’d been selected as a finalist was to call my parents. My dad is also an engineer and was my inspiration for entering the oil and gas industry in the first place. So to say that they were beyond excited is an understatement. I feel incredibly proud winning this award. Just as I was leaving the judges table to do my one-minute presentation, one of the judges reminded me to say why I wanted to win. I had missed that element in my preparation but immediately knew the reason. I wanted to win because it’s an award for everyone who has got me this far. I mean this in the truest sense. It’s an award for my family, first and foremost, who have to put up with my disappearing sometimes with little notice. My headteacher, who believed I could do anything I set my mind to (he actually wrote to me as a result of the nomination and was thrilled when I called to let him know I’d won). The senior management at Genesis who, although they’d never had a flexible worker before, trusted that I could still deliver for the company with no compromise on quality. They then continued to support and give me the time to put in place a number of initiatives such as a Graduate Training Scheme and a dedicated Work Experience Week which benefit both Genesis staff and the wider community. All the phenomenal teachers and group volunteers who invite me to speak (via STEMNet) to their students in the belief that I will inspire at least one or two per group. I am really looking forward to my next talk when I can show students that achievements and hard work can be recognised in this manner. This award is for all of them. I absolutely love my job and the industry I’m part of, but sometimes getting the balance right between work and family has been hard. The wish to show them that their belief in me is worthwhile is what drives me forward. This award scheme is a fantastic initiative for both company and individual. I sincerely hope that Genesis and other oil and gas companies continue to nominate employees in future. Celebrate these women and those who enable them to be the best they can be.
“I wanted to win because it’s an award for everyone who has got me this far.”
THE EUROPEAN WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING AWARDS >> MAY 2017
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