Women in Energy Byrony Coan Director, Opportune LLP bcoan@opportune.com
Women In Energy: Considerations For The Next Generation It’s well-known that women represent a minority of employees at all levels of American energy companies. While women are nearly half the workforce, they make up only 15% of the oil and gas industry—a number that drops further among higher-paying technical jobs. Even as companies have put forth an effort to hire more women, they’re still challenged in retaining female employees. But women who demonstrate their expertise in their field are in high demand in the energy industry right now. Why? Because I’ve seen it firsthand.
EARLY BEGINNINGS I grew up in an oil and gas family. My dad worked on offshore rigs and later became a leader in wellhead safety/ blowout certification. After the 1980s, I was aware of the inherent cyclical nature of oil and gas. I chose to pursue a STEM major (mechanical engineering) to give myself as many options as possible. Beginning in college, I was conscious of the small percentage of women in my major. 60
I have, however, been relatively surprised that post-college—working for both an oil and gas software company and now an energy business advisory firm— leadership roles held by women (particularly middle to senior management) far exceed the percentage I would’ve guessed based on my college experience.
CHANGING TIMES When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the U.S., the world seemingly went virtual
