Viridien is committed to diversity and taking all the actions needed to reduce biases and create an inclusive and equitable environment. To celebrate International Women’s Day, Jaqueline Krueger and Karine Pereira from Viridien’s Rio Subsurface Imaging center discuss how a different perspective can benefit the energy industry.
Jaqueline, what made you choose a career in the energy industry?
When I was a little girl living in the countryside of Blumenau city in Brazil, I always imagined myself working as a scientist in a big city or another country. I was often told “this is not for you,” but I kept dreaming big, and today I’m happy when I look back at the path I chose. At my teacher’s suggestion, I decided to study for a degree in oceanography where I could combine two things I liked: the sea and exact sciences. To do the course I had to move to another city. To boost my employment chances, I also took a master’s in marine geology and geophysics. My hard work paid off when I was selected to join Viridien as a junior geophysicist in its Rio subsurface imaging center. This was exactly what I was looking for, a job with challenges and one where I would be in contact with people from all over the world.
How has your career developed as a woman?
It’s been quite challenging, as part of a predominantly male industry, but I had some very good results. I was promoted to geophysicist, project geophysicist and then project leader within our subsurface imaging group. While improving myself technically was still very important, the soft skills, ones used to help and develop others on the team, became equally fundamental for a good professional performance.
For my latest promotion, I was given the opportunity to start working as business development lead. The technical knowledge I’d gained so far would be very useful, and I’d learn new negotiation techniques and methodologies. I decided to leave my comfort zone, and today I realize how much I have learned since I took on this new role. In any job, you need to work in a team. You will be a professional, a colleague, a leader, and most probably all of these at the same time. As your responsibilities increase, you end up depending more on other people. This is where you realize how important communication is.
I am pleased to see more women joining our industry, but there is still a “generation gap” where women in leadership positions are a minority. Women still have to persevere, to insist, even in the face of difficulties, to dream big to get where they want to go. I hope that by achieving greater female representation in leadership positions, we will include our important perspective in decision-making for our future.
Karine, have you been inspired by other women in your field?
Although I’ve met many inspiring women, my main influencers and mentors have been men, most likely because both mathematics, which I studied at university, and the oil and gas industry are predominantly male. Fortunately, when I went to Houston for my six-month induction training after joining Viridien as a junior geophysicist in 2015, I worked in a group led by a woman. While she was very important for my technical training, she is also the only female leader that I’ve worked closely with. I saw her as a very capable person, very intelligent, firm, dedicated, and who made sure I understood what and why I was doing each thing.
When I took my first leadership position as seismic processing team leader in late 2019, it was an important step because I was the only female technical leader in Viridien’s Brazil center. I hope to use my position to generate opportunities for other women so that I won't be the only one for much longer.
How do you see the future for women joining our industry?
Being a woman in such a male-dominated industry is not easy. It requires a lot of energy that I personally would rather be using to improve my work than to guarantee my space. This will only change when we have more women in all positions and especially in leadership positions. We need to be many, so that our voices form a chorus, and we can break down the barriers.
The energy industry is undergoing a major transformation. The search for clean energy sources and environmental concerns are accelerating the need to restructure and adapt to new demands, and change. This offers countless possibilities, and one thing is certain: the industry needs to innovate and reinvent itself. This cannot happen without a plurality of ideas, thoughts, and perspectives. This is why it’s important to have diversity. Now is the time to have more minds that think differently. And in such a male-sector, why not have more women?