People are vital to achieving our vision of a sustainable energy future: celebrating women in engineering

Today, the pace of technology evolution is incredible! What took years previously now happens in a few months. This entails cutting-edge technology and reliable edge-to-cloud solutions for us to be true disruptors in the sectors we operate in. This requires all of us to adapt to new ways of working - to expand our capabilities and develop new skills.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Report (https://lnkd.in/ghz383u) released last week includes research that the emissions mitigation industry creates new jobs. Jobs where engineers and data scientists use innovative technologies, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and proprietary algorithms for advanced data analytics, to help customers tap into asset information and provide valuable insights into their operations.

There is a need for substantial progress over the next decade on energy transition. Digital transformation is a key enabler, but meaningful progress can only be achieved by having the right expertise in every sector. I strongly believe that an experienced, highly skilled, and diverse team will successfully drive the transformation of energy and industry.

Baker Hughes Digital Solutions is a large, global, and diverse team. For me, diversity and inclusion are at the core of our culture. Our different backgrounds, cultures and experiences help us to learn from each other’s perspectives - making us a strong, innovative, and adaptable team. Equality and mutual respect are fundamental to how we operate. We build this culture together by living our values: Grow, Collaborate, Lead, and Care.

As we celebrate ‘Women in Engineering’ let’s put a spotlight on the women engineers in Baker Hughes Digital Solutions. Our women engineers represent over 30 nationalities and support our customers in 23 countries worldwide. Their engineering specializations are as diverse as the cultures they embody - automation, biomedical, mechanical, electrical, industrial, chemical, computer software and application, electronics, controls, manufacturing, technology, geological, thermal science and energy, quality and environmental - are naming a few!

Our women engineers in Baker Hughes Digital Solutions have deep domain expertise as well as broad industry experience. The majority have grown their careers with Baker Hughes: 70% have been with us for over 10 years; 21% for 10 to 20 years; 8% for 20 to 30 years; and 1% of our women engineers have been with Baker Hughes for over 30 years! A powerhouse of talent that also represents generational diversity with 45% being early career; 44% mid-career and 11% advanced career women engineers. 

What does it mean to be a woman engineer at Baker Hughes?

How has Baker Hughes supported your career growth?

What advice do you have for young girls who may (or may not) be considering a career in engineering? 

We asked three of our women engineers these questions.

Here's what Kristie Shanahan, Senior Engineering Manager - Mechanical at Waygate Technologies, Shaila Lokhande, Senior Manager Software Engineering at Bently Nevada, and Carly Blaes, Lead Engineer - Controls at Nexus Controls have to say in response. 

As a father of 3 young girls, I have encouraged my daughters to explore any career of their choice, including opportunities in STEM fields. I am personally committed to advancing education and careers in STEM, particularly for women. I have always been an advocate for career programs like ‘Cultivate’ and a sponsor of employee resource groups (ERGs) like the ‘Women’s Network’ that enable growth of women. I have mentored women leaders throughout my career and support talent outreach activities wherever possible.

We have close to 300 women engineers in Baker Hughes Digital Solutions today and we are determined to grow our talent pipeline to strongly position ourselves for the future. The pandemic did slow down our efforts in this area but over the past few months I’ve seen a lot of virtual engagement with universities. Post-millennials or Generation-Z (Gen-Z) are the future of talent and we need to connect with them now to address the challenges of the next decade, as we rapidly evolve across all industrial sectors.

I am excited about the future – to have cleaner sources of energy, a healthy environment and better quality of life – not just for myself but for future generations too.  

People are vital to achieving our vision of a sustainable future for everyone. Let’s encourage, enable, and empower our teams today, for a better tomorrow.

Tag all women engineers that inspire you – recognize and celebrate their accomplishments!

#WeAreBakerHughes, #INWED21, #ShapeTheWorld, #energytransition