Our culture of care makes bp different: Vaibhav’s story

Vaibhav joined bp 12 years ago as a mechanical engineer and hasn’t looked back since. He talks to us about his career, what he loves about the company culture and why he made the move to India to help set up our new Technical Solutions India (TSI) center.  

Tell us a little about yourself 

Others describe me as energetic, resourceful, curious, friendly, sociable and an involved team player. I was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and spent my childhood in Jaipur, Rajasthan. At the age of 11, my family moved to New Jersey in the US. Early on there were many struggles in adapting to the culture, but looking back it’s what has made me more resilient to change. Throughout my early years, I liked solving problems – my mechanical engineering degree led me to an amazing career working with companies, like bp, that are focused on helping solve the world’s energy problems. My daily motivation comes from my wife and eight-year-old daughter. Exploring cultures and trying different cuisines are a pastime for us.

Why did you decide to get involved with the TSI center? 

I saw it as truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. From my perspective, this is a chance to be involved with a venture similar to a startup – a brand new business in a brand new country, and with that comes a lot of excitement in the form of risks and rewards. Beyond this, I have Indian roots, so it excited me and my family from a personal level. Embracing the chance to return to my birthplace in a professional capacity and leveraging the country’s talent while connecting that to bp’s long-term strategy, really appealed to me!

Tell us about your role 

I am the maintenance and reliability manager in TSI, supporting the global production and operations business teams. In this vertical, the team will provide day-to-day and strategic support to regional customers, while keeping a safety and quality mindset at the forefront. I see myself going beyond the core role to support our teams in tying together the bp and Indian cultures.

Why is TSI so important? 

This is in large part due to our 2030 growth agenda, and our goal to become a net zero company by 2050. 

If I look across all sectors of bp, we see high growth in the gas and low carbon energy business now and in the coming years. Alongside the talent pool, we also need the capabilities and technologies to follow through on our strategy. That’s where TSI comes into play, in supporting our frontline operations team so they can concentrate on delivery.

What makes you proud to work here? 

I value our culture of care and the support system very much. I’ve been grateful to have great mentors throughout the organization within my business unit as well as outside to provide that holistic view. It’s been very exciting being part of many volunteering events through the various business resource groups. The reverse mentoring program that I have recently been involved with is also exciting. Sometimes as leaders, working relationships often feel one way. It is essential to get the pulse of the organization – having this two-way relationship with someone more junior can really help.

What does a truly inclusive workplace look like to you? 

For me, personally, this starts with ensuring that everyone is invited to the conversation and more importantly, being heard.

Inclusion is a lot bigger than this, but ultimately it is about listening to every single voice in the room. 

Agreement isn’t always what we are looking for – sometimes it’s about ensuring we keep the conversation going and allow an opportunity for people to bring fresh ideas to the table.

Why should people join bp? 

It’s the people and teamwork culture that make me love my work at bp. The most important thing that makes bp different is how much we focus on caring for others. This is the culture of bp – it’s all about prioritizing individuals.