Championing inclusivity in Trading & shipping: Tamoor’s story
At bp Tamoor helped lead the Pride Business Resource Group (BRG), an informal network for LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and sits on the board of a charity called Diversity Role Models
Tamoor always thought he would pursue a career in banking or finance. But after hearing about bp’s commercial graduate programme, he took a different route.
16 years later, Tamoor has worked for bp across the world – from India to Trinidad and Tobago. “I like exploring the world and learning about different cultures. It explains why every time I leave London, I seem to love what I do even more!”
After completing the graduate programme, Tamoor decided to join what was then bp’s upstream business. “Upstream was top of my list because I enjoyed the magic of getting resources out of the ground – who knew you could drill so many metres below the sea level and find oil or gas? It still amazes me even now,” he says.
For the last five years, Tamoor has worked as an originator in bp’s Trading & shipping business.
He explains,
A sector full of change
“It’s very difficult to work in Trading & shipping if you’re scared of change because things change daily,” Tamoor reflects. As well as geopolitical and commercial changes day-to-day, the energy sector is evolving and transitioning.
Tamoor says,
He explains,
Working alongside bp’s low carbon teams, Tamoor talks to bp customers about how they can reduce their carbon footprint.
“It will be difficult for crude oil producers to transition straight away because so many people across the world depend on them for heat, light and mobility. But I ask them what they want to change in the next three to four years. It’s about figuring out how we can mould our business for the future.”
Championing DE&I at bp and beyond
Tamoor is also involved in various DE&I initiatives outside of his work. At bp he helped lead the Pride Business Resource Group (BRG), an informal network for LGBTQ+ employees and allies, and sits on the board of a charity called Diversity Role Models.
When he won Stonewall’s role model of the year award, his contributions were celebrated by bp. “As well as getting recognition for work that’s not directly related to my day job, bp gave me time to focus on these initiatives which was great for my personal development,” Tamoor reflects.
Tamoor is also involved in the Pride BRG’s reverse mentoring scheme, where he coaches Carol Howle, the EVP of bp’s Trading & shipping business, about the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s given us a safe space to have open conversations about things that work and don’t work for LGBTQ+ people at bp, from behaviours on the trading floor to the importance of active allyship. I would really recommend it to everyone to do – there is room for everyone to learn from each other.”