Barbara Hoffman Strauss
Barbara Strauss is a seasoned project management professional with over two decades of experience leading complex software implementation and IT initiatives across the energy and technology sectors. Most recently, she served as a Senior Project Manager at ION Commodities and Treasury, based in New York, with offices in Houston, TX among other global offices, where she spent over 13 years driving key projects and technology deployments. Prior to her tenure at ION, Barbara held impactful roles at Shell Energy, Dynegy, and Waste Management, where she built a reputation for her deep expertise in software implementation, business analysis, and quality assurance leadership.
Barbara holds a Master of Business Administration with a focus in Finance from the University of Houston and earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M University. Her academic foundation in engineering, combined with her financial acumen and leadership in IT, allowed her to navigate complex enterprise systems with precision and strategic insight. Now retired, she reflects a career defined by innovation, reliability, and excellence in execution.
• Texas A&M University- B.S.
• University of Houston- Master's
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to consistently delivering results with integrity and dedication—being nominated as Employee of the Year while on an ION project in the UAE stands out as a testament to my work ethic and commitment to excellence.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to focus on one thought at a time, literally to do one thing at a time with my mind—it’s helped me stay grounded, make clearer decisions, and manage complex projects with greater efficiency.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise young women entering this profession to choose your path wisely, stay true to yourselves, your character and your values, but periodically extend yourselves by taking assignments that seem impossible at the time. This profession may require much travel, and if your choice is to have a family, be prepared to support them with ample reinforcements while striving for whatever level you decide to achieve. Life goes by quickly, so be present.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field right now is the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles, which also presents a significant opportunity to break barriers and promote greater diversity in thought and methodology. Achieving executive level positions once you have proven yourself invaluable in a production role, can limit upward mobility. With consistency in delivery, or in any deadline initiated environment comes restriction, so succession planning is key. Let your aspirations be known, especially when you decide it is time for a change. Another challenge is that the complexity of solutions required by clients prohibits a pure PMI waterfall methodology, yet its credentials are still the expected norm. The information gained by acquiring these archaic credentials, although fascinating, applies primarily to defense, aerospace, and governmental implementation requirements. The solutions needed by other than these industries requires structure but in a fluid collaborative approach. No two projects have ever been alike in my experience.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important value to me in both work and life is fostering a no-blame culture where, when problems arise, we collaborate to find solutions rather than assign fault. Assigning fault fosters fear and division. Once you set the expectation that mistakes are an inevitable part of life and have built trust within the team, they will begin to share their ideas freely and solutions to complex problems will surface. Fear no longer becomes an influence in the solutioning process. Projects are costly enough without attempting innovation when a failure surfaces.