Life at bp

In this episode, we sit down with boomerang employees David Hall, market advisor, Hydrogen and Sinead Ryan bp, Global early careers manager. What is a boomerang employee? A boomerang employee is someone who leaves a company, but then returns to work for the same company at a later date. While David and Sinead work within different departments at bp, they share commonalties. They both have a wealth of knowledge from working across different industries throughout their careers and were attracted back to bp. During our compelling conversation they share stories about how they started their careers at bp and the shift in our energy strategy in recent years that compelled them to return to our organization. Tune in to hear them share career insights, their experiences at bp – in the past and in the present, and what they believe the future holds for the energy sector.

In this episode, we are joined by team members Bobbi Pickard and Chloe Whalley. During this powerful discussion, these employees reflect on previous experiences they've had where they didn't feel welcomed, followed by moments where they felt embraced by their colleagues and a company's culture. Tune in as we learn more about these resilient employees, the challenges they have faced on their journey to self-acceptance, and bp's efforts to continue growing a more inclusive workplace. Please be aware, there is reference to suicide in this episode, which may be upsetting to some people.

Austin Hodge and Tim Airey speak to Robin Yellow from the bp Digital Science team, about a project in November 2020 to pilot an Autonomous Vehicle around bp's Lingen refinery. They describe how they did it safely in a hazardous environment, and what went wrong when a cloud of steam got in the way. Listen to find out what is so special about autonomy and where it could lead bp next

The next generation won't see robotics as a novelty. They will be a common place, day-to-day element of our operations.   How exactly will we use robots on our sites? In this episode, Sophia Lin and Silvia Vargas speak to your host Peter Lemke about the insights and lessons learned during a Toolkit Robotics Challenge, where five intuitive robots where deployed across bp operations for hands-on experimentation.

Join your host Matt Young as he talks to a bp led consortium who have been awarded funding to design and build the world's first quantum stand-off hydrogen sensor.  The award was a culmination of effort from bp's Digital Science team who have been tracking quantum sensor development in the UK since 2017.  Find out why this new generation of sensors will enable the new hydrogen economy. Did you know that hydrogen burns with a colourless flame and represents an invisible danger to safe and reliable operations?

Karen Scarbrough interviews bp's Principal Platform Engineer, Stefan Gerrard, on the impressive legacy that bp's High Performance Computing building has built over the past decade and its plans to move forward with industry leading standards for what digital power consumption means on the road to net zero.

Some of the most successful people in the world are neurodivergent. They attribute their success to their neurological and cognitive differences, which enables them to see the world differently. Neurodiversity covers a wide spectrum of conditions, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD and Tourette’s syndrome. In a 2018 report, accountancy firm EY claimed dyslexics have “exactly the skills needed for the future workplace”. However, despite many companies starting to see the benefits of neurodiversity, workplaces and society at large have a long way to go in understanding, enabling and nurturing neurodiverse talent and the incredible value they can add to all around them. This episode brings the personal stories of three colleagues impacted by diagnosis such as dyslexia, Asperger’s and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nicola, Antoni and Katharine have made it their purpose to make workplaces and the world more inclusive of neurodiversity.

In this episode, Prathiba Arokiasamy shares her own fertility journey, along with colleagues Nikki, Andrew and Nili. While experiencing very different paths to parenthood, they’ve all benefited from the fertility group that Nili set up in bp. The colleagues share powerful personal fertility stories to help raise awareness of the devastating impact that fertility challenges can have on people’s lives and to normalize fertility conversations in the workplace.Warning: Topics discussed include fertility, pregnancy, miscarriage, medical treatments, sperm donation, adoption and surrogacy. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions or concerns. Please reach out to your local fertility support groups and counselling if you need further assistance during this difficult time.  

“If 50,000 employees at bp look for a solution on sustainability every day, it will be easy to become a net zero company by 2050.” Across an insightful, reflective and sometimes poignant 30 mins, Gaurav tells us about his passion for sustainability, why he signed up to be part of One Young World and the role he is now playing to engage colleagues with our net zero mission. We also discuss how Gaurav’s MBA and summer internship with Castrol helped him transition from a technical engineering role into a marketing role. While – in a deeply reflective moment – Gaurav tells us about how the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy has impacted his mother’s health, and why bp’s culture and focus on safety is so important to him. 

In this episode of life at bp we’re talking with Katrin (environmental products originator) and Rishi (carbon management analyst)– both joined bp on our graduate programmes and now both are playing key roles as we head towards a low carbon future. We hear how they’ve made the most of the variety on offer at bp and what made them switch the direction of their careers to focus on projects that are much closer to their hearts. Katrin and Rishi also share their experiences of joining bp, why you don’t need to be the loudest person in the room and how having the confidence to talk to people just might be the biggest attribute you possess.

In this episode Melbourne based Jordan explains, he’s joined bp in quite an extraordinary time – both for the company and the for the world. He shares his excitement for where bp is going as an organization and gives us the lowdown on what it has been like working during lockdown. Always speaking with his heart on his sleeve, Jordan also tells us about the reservations he had prior to joining bp, why he’s happy to admit he’s made mistakes and the importance of heading into the world of work with a passion for the industry and an open-mind on where you might end up.

In this episode of life at bp we talk to chemical engineers, Caitlyn and Erick. We discuss their excitement for bp’s new vision and their love of solving problems that have significant societal impact. They also have plenty of advice to offer from their time as graduates. So, listen out for why it’s good to have mentors, how you can make yourself the biggest advocate of you, and why it matters to not just do your work, but understand why you’re doing it.      

In this episode of life at bp we’re talking with business analyst and junior developer, Ahmed Diallo. Now, while Ahmed may currently be on our IT&S graduate programme out in Chicago, he’s got a whole life behind him too. As the son of a WHO doctor he lived all over the world when he was growing up, and then got to see even more of it during his time in the U.S Army. So how exactly did he end up at bp? Ahmed gives us the fascinating answer to that question here, as well as telling us about the film which got him hooked on computing, what an ‘I Love Me’ book is, how to identify transferable skills, and why having mentors is the best advice he has ever been given.

“I thought the trading bench would be an intense place to be, but at bp it’s very warm and approachable.” In this episode we’re chatting to Zhang Yue, a first-year trading graduate based in Singapore. Upbeat and always candid, Zhang shares her reflections of life on the trading floor, telling us what she was expecting before she joined and what she actually discovered when she became part of the team – it’s not nearly as intimidating as she feared. We also talk about some of the things Zhang has learnt about herself too. Such as building confidence in forming relationship at work and learning to switch from a more carefree approach at university to meticulous approach required as a trader.

“Things are changing all the time. You have to learn to be resilient.” In this episode we speak with Oliver Grimston – bp’s chief of staff in Iraq. From growing up in a small UK town to working on one of the Middle East’s largest oil fields, and from joining bp as a graduate petrophysicist to becoming chief of staff, Oliver’s is a fascinating story of taking the opportunities as they arise and being willing to step into the unknown. With reflections on work experience, the pandemic and the value of understanding different people’s mindsets and cultures, Oliver provides plenty of advice to students who will soon make the move into the world of work.

In this must-listen episode of life at bp we talk with Houston-based early careers talent acquisition manager, Amy Patton. We start by reflecting on bp’s new inspiring vision and purpose and what that means for graduates now and into the future. Amy also shares insights into how we’re learning from the diversity of our workforce, how you can impress recruiters, and – once you’ve joined a company – how you can balance that desire to make a great first impression without compromising on being the real you. To round things off, Amy tells us all about the great work she has been doing as founder of the Sock Orphanage.

“The first thing I’d say is keep your head up. That way you get to see the bigger opportunities bp offers.” In this episode we chat with US subsea wells engineer Ahmed Farag. Sharp, reflective and wise, not only does Ahmed tell us about the extraordinary world of underwater engineering, but reflects on his upbringing on Cairo, the time he saw the bp career’s team wearing Georgia Tech football jerseys and how the experiences of Hurricane Harvey prepared him and his team for working in a global pandemic. He also has plenty of advice to graduates who are thinking about joining bp, and reflects on his own transition from the world of study to the world of work.