Welcome Letter

from 2007 SPE President Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa

Executive Perspective • Energy Industry Offers Limitless Opportunities for Technical Professionals

Talent and technology will be the driving forces of innovation and ingenuity that propel the oil and gas industry forward, writes Stuart R. McGill, Senior Vice President of Exxon Mobil Corporation. But the industry must take an active role in ensuring that organizations have access to the people and tools that can satisfy the world's energy needs. That means supporting education in the technical sciences and creating productive, open work cultures.

Executive Perspective • The Major Challenges Facing Our Industry

Clarence P. Cazalot Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Marathon Oil Corporation, describes four major challenges the industry must address to meet future oil and gas demand, including finding sufficient numbers of well-trained and capable technical people. Solving the people issue will require companies to do things considerably differently from how they have done them in the past.

Lessons from History — The Value of Competent People

The cost of the "big crew change" to the oil and gas industry could be huge — the equivalent of 20% of total industry E&P expenditures, or more than USD 35 billion per year. J. Ford Brett, President of PetroSkills, explains the financial downside of demographic changes.

HR Corner • Complex Human Resource Challenges Call for New Approaches

If producers and service companies are to find and recruit the workers they need, argues John A. Ryder, Vice President of Human Resources of Champion Technologies, they will have to reverse some rather ominous demographic and employment trends.  To achieve that, they will have to develop and implement a variety of sustained, systemic solutions at both the individual company and industry levels.

SPE Survey Rates Employee Job Satisfaction

SPE surveys its membership on a variety of human resources issues, including employee hapiness on the job, whether workers think they are using their full potential, and work/life balance.

The Talent & Technology Interview

A conversation with François Viaud, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Communications, Total E&P.

The Long View • Stay Ahead Through Rapid Innovation

Noted author and historian James Burke offers a nonindustry perspective on innovation, change, and competing in a cutthroat world of outsourcing and job loss.