“I am a passionate believer that when doors are opened for you, you need to show gratitude but you also need in turn to pass that on – to bring others along. As you climb that corporate ladder, reach behind you and help someone else along their journey. And as females we need to be allies to each other – to lift each other up and to celebrate each other’s successes.
Giselle Thompson, Deputy Managing Director, Proman is a successful executive with 21 years of experience in the energy sector; 20 of those years were spent in the upstream with bpTT. Roughly one year ago, Giselle assumed a senior leadership role at Proman, well known in the global industry as one of the world’s largest producers of methanol and ammonia. Giselle has welcomed this new opportunity for learning and growth in a distinctly unique sector of the industry.
No stranger to exploring unchartered territory and challenges, Giselle’s life has been a case of expertly balancing a professional life with the demands of nurturing a family. Her success may be attributed in part to being raised in a home where both parents held full-time jobs, with her mother, also a professional (in the banking sector), “I was able to see and experience first-hand, the struggles and triumphs of managing a challenging career while also raising a family. My mother instilled in me my work ethic and the understanding that success in life is not handed to you, but something you have to work hard to achieve.” The eldest of four girls, Giselle seems to have always had the leadership instinct imprinted.
Giselle’s recent appointment at Proman is a unique case of life coming full circle. Her undergraduate studies were in the field of Management at the University of the West Indies and a little known, but interesting coincidence was that she was one of the first cohort of scholarship awardees by what was known then as the Trinidad and Tobago Methanol company, today one of Proman’s legacy companies. Proman’s investment in education has quite fortuitously brought a direct return on their investment, decades after. Her first immersion in the world of work was a marketing role in a global pharmaceutical company which she found extremely satisfying, “I love the cut and thrust of fast-moving consumer goods, brand positioning and reputation management. However, I always had my eye on energy, understanding that it is the engine room of our economy and so vital to our national development and for that reason I always had a keen interest in wanting to be part of an industry that could propel our country’s economic development.” That link to the energy sector has endured.
Like many other female executives, Giselle always had the desire to pursue post graduate studies. That goal had to be shelved temporarily as she entered the working world and her career pursuits became the greater priority. This, coupled with her next major decision to get married and start a family meant that “I had to put that life goal on hold. It was not a goal I gave up on but knew there is a time and season for everything”. Twenty years after completing her undergraduate degree, Giselle finally found the time and space to pursue her Master’s degree. Even then the task was demanding and required balance. She recalls that “It was not an easy task managing the demands of work, family and education but it was worth the sacrifice to be able to achieve that life goal.
A common thread running through Giselle’s life has been the ability to confront and surmount obstacles and it therefore seems no surprise that when the opportunity came knocking to take on a new challenge with Proman, and to learn the downstream side of the industry, she went all in. Giselle is energized by this recent opportunity and acknowledges that “It has been a great learning experience and has broadened my knowledge and understanding of our energy value chains and what drives investments and progress across both sides of the industry.
Delving a bit more deeply into the unique challenges she would have encountered as a female stepping into senior leadership roles early in her career, while simultaneously growing in her career, she highlights the difficulty she faced, “The professional expectations were increasing and I was also growing my family and managing the demands of young children. Finding a way to create balance at many times felt impossible and statistics would say that it is during those times that many females opt out the industry. I had to trust however that if I kept pushing through those difficult years things would eventually become easier, kids grow and become more independent, you develop a support system of family, neighbors, friends who have provided tremendous support and you gain professional experience and understand better how to navigate your role.”
After 20 + years in the industry, Giselle has had ample moments to reflect on her journey and while her path may have presented its own unique challenges, she has some advice to younger persons “Opportunities are never handed to you, you have to work hard for it, there are no short cuts to success. You first have to invest in yourself, in your education, your skills and competencies and then when you have an opportunity to step into the working world you need to focus on mastering your job. Remain curious and go beyond the job description to find unique ways you can contribute to your organization’s success. Think about how you can solve problems, add value, and contribute to your community and if you focus on that, the opportunities for advancement will come.”
When asked to talk about what she derives the most satisfaction from at the professional level, the focus shifted to the human side of the organization. Giselle is highly motivated to leading/supporting the organization to navigate the inherent uncertainty that can be expected in the energy industry and to ensure that it delivers on its strategic objectives and financial targets. For her however, the most meaningful and rewarding aspect of the job is “working with our people and our teams to help them unlock their full potential; to provide opportunities to young graduates now entering the working world, to coach and mentor younger females who are walking the path that I have walked before them. Seeing others thrive and being part of their career journey is where I get my most fulfilment”.
The thrill of being a part of the energy sector is palpable from Giselle’s interview, and this is understandable as she has spent the majority of her professional life there. Her gratitude and regard are evident, “I feel privileged to be part of the sector and to have the career opportunities that I have had that have allowed my country to benefit from continued investments and development of our energy industry. Of course, her perspective and experience have been influenced by the fact that she is a female executive in what is indisputably, still a male-dominated industry. She is very encouraged by the strides and changes “I see women already playing a strong role in the sector and with roughly half of our engineering graduates being females there is no doubt that women will continue to have a lot to contribute. This is why I am delighted to be co-chairing the Energy Chamber’s Women in Energy Task Force. I think providing a network and community where women can come together to discuss challenges and opportunities to continue advancing female representation in energy is long overdue and I am happy to support the Chamber in this initiative.
Her advocacy for, and interest in seeing more females participate in the sector is refreshingly balanced by her candid and grateful acknowledgement of the role that many male colleagues have played in her professional journey. She has had the benefit of having “tremendous male allies”. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside senior male leaders in our industry and I have learned so much from each of my former leaders. Their mentorship, the opportunities, rooms and discussions that they have exposed me to have allowed me professional growth and the understanding of how to navigate large corporate organizations”. Her professional development has been influenced by the knowledge sharing with her male counterparts and she feels fortunate to have been able to learn from them, explaining that “They have all had a few things in common – they set a high bar for performance and expected excellence and that has taught me that mediocrity is not ok. They have understood the value of investing in building relationships, whether with external stakeholders or with employees and that remains a central part of how I lead, and they have also taught me how to navigate corporate politics and sometimes very challenging circumstances by being true to your values and your principles.” In addition to her male allies, Giselle has also built a strong network of professional females who have been great “sounding boards”, shoulders to lean on and a safe space to vent when one needs to.
In concluding our conversation, Giselle shared some further thoughts, which have almost become her personal credo, influenced by a reflection of her journey so far: “I am a passionate believer that when doors are opened for you, you need to show gratitude but you also need in turn to pass that on – to bring others along. As you climb that corporate ladder, reach behind you and help someone else along their journey. And as females we need to be allies to each other – to lift each other up and to celebrate each other’s successes.