Bringing creativity to energy trading: Jenn’s story

Coming from Houston, Texas, it was almost inevitable that Jenn would end up working at Shell for seventeen years. As she explains, “at the time, if you grew up in Houston, you worked for NASA or you worked for an oil and gas company. Space wasn’t my thing, so naturally I turned to the energy world.”

Jenn’s first job was in gas operations in the US, and eventually she went on to run Shell’s European Continental Gas Trading desk. But three years ago she moved across to bp, convinced by bp’s belief in her ability to lead a growing part of the business.  

“To go somewhere different after such a long career is a bold move,” Jenn admits. “It took a lot of energy and determination, but I had to challenge myself to step outside of my normal.”

Leading a significant transformation

Now working as VP of European gas trading & origination, Jenn is responsible for the overall direction of bp’s European gas trading business. “As well as the design and delivery of our new strategy, I oversee trading, operations and origination activity,” she explains. 

Jenn believes that bp’s new strategy and ambition to become a net zero company by 2050, or sooner, makes now a transformative time for gas and power. 

For Jenn and her team this means spending time on the creation of green gas opportunities, including biomethane, as well as lowering the methane intensity of the products that bp trades and looking at ways to demonstrate these improved standards to the market.

“I’ve been working in natural gas for the last 20 years, but now we’re truly talking about gas and power as core commodities that will be crucial to the world’s future energy mix,” she explains. 

Working as one team

When comparing the culture at bp to others in the industry, Jenn believes bp stands out. “The work-life balance is very strong here,” she says.

Although the pandemic has been difficult for everyone, Jenn is proud of how her team has come together.