Adrian - Shipping
Name: Adrian
Job title: Vice President Assurance, Shipping
Location: Sunbury
Education: B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering, Liverpool University; MBA, Warwick University
Joined BP: 1972
Job title: Vice President Assurance, Shipping
Location: Sunbury
Education: B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering, Liverpool University; MBA, Warwick University
Joined BP: 1972
Career timeline
How has your career developed since you’ve been at BP?“I joined BP as an Engineering Officer Cadet in 1972 and progressed through a series of engineering officer roles on BP’s ships. In 1985, with BP’s full support, I started a university course in Mechanical engineering. When I finished in 1988, I went into commercial roles and was involved in planning, finance and chartering. In 1991, I completed an MBA and worked in marine management, eventually moving into a series of roles that combined my engineering and commercial skills. I then gained experience in ship design and construction and then in 1998 joined BP’s developing LNG business. In 2003, I came back to shipping and managed the renewal of our fleet and our marine assurance activities. Change has definitely been a constant.”
How has BP supported your career?
“They supported me in practical ways by sending me to university and sponsoring me through my MBA on full salary. Being able to do all that was a huge privilege, but it was one I felt I had earned. BP needs engineers throughout its business and it’s important to have managers and leaders that also understand what happens at the coal face. With BP’s support, I’ve been able to develop engineering and commercial skills and then take that knowledge into different leadership roles.”
“They supported me in practical ways by sending me to university and sponsoring me through my MBA on full salary. Being able to do all that was a huge privilege, but it was one I felt I had earned. BP needs engineers throughout its business and it’s important to have managers and leaders that also understand what happens at the coal face. With BP’s support, I’ve been able to develop engineering and commercial skills and then take that knowledge into different leadership roles.”
What are the main reasons you have stayed at BP for so long?
“BP is a big organisation. But for me, it’s always also been a family. I spent my first decade with the business at sea learning and developing as an engineer and doing jobs that I really enjoyed. In my second decade, I worked hard to broaden my skills and make a difference to the business. In my third decade, I focused on giving something back through developing others. I care passionately about the future of BP and am committed to its long term success. Although my motivations have changed throughout my career, the organisation has been able to accommodate that. BP is a great place to work!”
“BP is a big organisation. But for me, it’s always also been a family. I spent my first decade with the business at sea learning and developing as an engineer and doing jobs that I really enjoyed. In my second decade, I worked hard to broaden my skills and make a difference to the business. In my third decade, I focused on giving something back through developing others. I care passionately about the future of BP and am committed to its long term success. Although my motivations have changed throughout my career, the organisation has been able to accommodate that. BP is a great place to work!”
What do you see as your next role or career opportunity at BP?
“I’m just about to move into a new role. I’ll be Vice President of Operations with responsibility for running BP Shipping’s fleet of oil and gas tankers. I’ll be at the sharp end of the business again and I’m very excited to be taking on this new challenge.”
“I’m just about to move into a new role. I’ll be Vice President of Operations with responsibility for running BP Shipping’s fleet of oil and gas tankers. I’ll be at the sharp end of the business again and I’m very excited to be taking on this new challenge.”
