Irina Ivanova

I attribute my success to my curiosity as a person and my willingness to put myself in hard learning environments. I try to deeply go into something that is new, even though it's very scary, because it gives you a full picture of what's going on around you. At every stage of my career, I have tried to not be scared of something new and learning something new. Even though I can work in some positions, I still try to learn something completely different. I think diversification is the important thing in my life that I'm trying to keep always. I believe that by continuously challenging myself and embracing new knowledge, even when it feels uncomfortable, I am able to grow and succeed in ways that staying in my comfort zone would never allow.

The best career advice I ever received was that communication skills are very important. I can be very skillful and know all the details of my current position, and be very nerdy with all the full details from scratch, but sometimes you can be stagnated just for the reason that you've never communicated to someone who maybe can bring you new insights or have completely opposite views that challenge your stigmas and everything that you learned. I think that was very good advice, to know your thing but still have very good communication. You can have all the technical knowledge in the world, but without the ability to communicate and connect with others who can challenge your thinking and bring fresh perspectives, you limit your own growth and potential.

I love this question. I'm from Russia, and it's been always a challenge for women there, because I think the U.S. is a bit advanced in this, but the challenge was that women in the oil field were always misunderstood. I think men still believe that the oil field is more for men rather than women, and that men hear it better than women. I think that's wrong, and I believe that women actually can do more and be more just for it, because we know that we are always challenged. My advice will be to believe in yourself. If you see that this is the thing that you want to do, whether it's in oil field, or driving trucks, or building houses, I think the most important thing is if you like what you do and you think that you want to do this, just go for it. Don't let anyone tell you that certain fields are not for women. We face challenges, yes, but those challenges make us stronger and more capable. If you have the passion and the drive, pursue it without fear.

The biggest challenge in my field right now is time management, since I have to support the whole globe. I can receive inquiries during my sleeping hours or early in the morning when I have to drop my kids to the care. It feels like time management can be a bit of a struggle, and I always need to find flexibility to understand that something can go wrong from the beginning of the day. Another major challenge is helping people understand and embrace the digital disruption happening in oil and gas. Everything that has come in recent years involves AI and new digital solutions, and it's just hard for some people to understand how AI works. Sometimes people feel like AI is taking their positions and jobs and money, so it needs to be navigated carefully. I help people understand that AI can actually support them and progress the things they deliver, rather than replace them. The opportunity is in showing people how these new technologies can enhance their work rather than threaten it.

I have two little kids, they're 2 and 5. Being a woman in oil and gas is like being a woman in a man's world, basically always being challenged by men and looking into men or being judged by them. My very important thing is my house is my home, so I never bring anything outside of work to my house and keep it safe and sound. Whatever happens in my office or at work, I'm never gonna bring this home. What's very important for me is my family always first. I'm trying to be very mindful about this, to keep my family safe from everything that is around. The second value I hold is health. I always try to keep up with good health and good health habits, like exercising every day and eating good food, just for the reason that all the resources, the brain work, your posture, and everything actually have a value in how you perform your work. It's like the same with computers - if your computer doesn't have enough CPU usage, it's the same as with your body. If your brain doesn't have enough support, mental, emotional, and physical, and your body the same, then you're probably not gonna perform well. I truly believe that everything goes from family first. Your progression, your mindset, and everything starts with the family, so that's why I put it first. Two very key points for me are always keep family first and keep up with good health.