Developing a market for hydrogen and carbon capture: Louise’s story
In a bp career which spans two decades and three continents, Louise has been at the forefront of some of the world’s leading energy projects
In a bp career which spans two decades and three continents, Louise has been at the forefront of some of the world’s leading energy projects. That journey continued last year as she took an exciting step to become the senior vice president of bp’s new hydrogen and carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) business – an area that will be crucial in supporting bp’s ambition to be a net zero company by 2050, or sooner. Having joined bp as a graduate drilling engineer in 2001, Louise didn’t have to stray too far from home when considering a career in energy.
Family has always been important to Louise and it’s now her son who is prompting her career choices. “He has definitely influenced my desire to make the world a better place and help solve the complex problems we’re facing by contributing to the energy transition”, Louise says.
Driving fresh, purposeful change
Day-to-day, Louise and her team work with a range of stakeholders to enable bp to create a real market for hydrogen and CCUS – key components of the energy transition. “Hydrogen and CCUS will have a huge part to play. And we aren't just taking small steps here, we are making decisions that can help tackle climate change”, she says.
The chance to shape a growing sector is an opportunity that Louise finds particularly stimulating. “All of the projects I’m working on are very exciting and I think the future looks bright”, she says. “There are a lot of opportunities in the market and there is also a lot of external excitement around hydrogen”.
Given that bp’s work in this area is fairly new, part of Louise’s role is about considering partnerships in a different way. “We’re engaging with governments, customers, and other stakeholders to understand how we can kickstart the market for clean hydrogen”, she explains.
An environment enabling growth
The opportunity to progress your career at bp through new experiences and the development of new skills is something that Louise can attest to. Having worked in engineering roles throughout her time at bp, in 2014 Louise had the opportunity to try a different kind of position, as executive assistant to Bernard Looney.
Looking back on this time, Louise reflects:
Leading her own team, Louise is taking a proactive role in ensuring they can develop. “I am passionate about helping people be the best they can be”, she says. “Bringing people together and getting 110% out of every individual is what gets me up in the morning”.