Asli Gulcur

Background

Asli Gulcur, 29, grew up in Istanbul, Turkey but won a scholarship to study in the USA when she was 15 – the youngest of just 60 selected from more than 5000 contestants. She intended to stay as a high school exchange student for a year, but ended up remaining in the US for more than a decade.

After gaining a BS degree in computer science and mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University, Asli started her career as a manager and presenter in Boston, Mass., where she led interactive lectures for high-level executives in 14 countries and generated substantial consulting contracts for her firm. In 1999 she became a senior consultant in a technology company, winning new clients and building teams in operations around the world.

Joining BP

Asli began her MBA at Stanford in 2001, and was awarded a BP internship the following summer. On completion of her MBA, she joined BP. She is currently in the second year of the Helios Fellowship.

BP roles

Overall I had a very entrepreneurial work experience pre-MBA and I worked in many different parts of the world. I also had extensive hands-on customer experience, which was valuable when I did my internship in BP’s integrated supply and trading (IST) business. There, my role was strategic – to identify cross-product, cross-regional opportunities: this meant engaging with trading team leaders.

My first job in BP involved working with the group human resources team. I recommended a new introductory training programme for experienced new hires coming into the organization, and was tasked to deliver it.

I was made project manager to launch the programme (called “Discover BP”) in Shanghai in March 2004. I started working with an immediate team of five people, and we had little time to conduct various tasks to develop the programme. I had to navigate the organization and involve many senior people from across BP and get their help. The programme was launched in Shanghai successfully, and it has been run regularly in four regions ever since. Through this experience, I got to know BP much better.

My next role was to project manage the process for the creation of the first strategy/risk-based five-year plan for BP communications and external affairs. This involved close liaison with four regions and nine central teams so my experience in dealing with people at all levels was again very useful.

Now I am working as executive assistant to David Nagel, global head of mergers and acquisitions in BP. This involves supporting, managing and advising him on a wide variety of tasks including follow through on both short and long-term issues.

I’ve learned a lot about geo-politics. I’ve gained a unique insight into this fascinating industry that makes the headlines every day and is so critical to our lives, to our future and to governments. I’ve also had a high level of exposure to senior executives, so I’ve been able to observe and see how decisions are made, what matters, and how the organization is structured and controlled.