‘Be bold, be brave’ BP women share the words that inspired them

Nine female leaders from across BP reveal the careers advice that has pushed them to succeed, in an interview with BP magazine

The women, from five different continents, with years of service ranging from six to 26 years, talk about the advice that shaped and encouraged them.

Aleida Rios, vice president responsible for operations at BP’s four massive Gulf of Mexico production platforms, says she was offered a promotion shortly before giving birth to her second child. She says: "I was being offered an operations manager position when I was eight months pregnant and thinking ‘this is too hard, I am leaving’. I stayed because of the confidence my mentor gave me."

Eight of the women interviewed graduated with engineering degrees and show the diversity of possible career paths from that start, from the completions engineer part of a team responsible for the performance of wells in Oman to the chemical and process engineer now acting as the right-hand person to BP’s chief executive for Upstream.

In BP’s petrochemicals business in Indonesia, laboratory team supervisor Yosi Yuliani manages a team of nine. She says: “When I started out as a junior in the BP Merak laboratory, I never imagined I’d one day be the supervisor in an all-male environment.’

The advice that inspired her? ‘Don’t wait until someone knocks on your door. Be active and put yourself out there. Be visible and easy to contact.’

For more, see the full report.