Q&A Spotlight: SBM Offshore's Saskia Kunst

Q&A Spotlight: SBM Offshore's Saskia Kunst

The offshore oil and gas industry continues to expand its reach into deeper waters, and some of the effects include an increase in the demand for skilled employees and advanced technology. As operators aim to succeed in these complex reservoirs, this has also required that companies such as SBM Offshore N.V. provide resources that can handle the challenge effectively and efficiently, using the industry’s top talent.

Blake International Welcomes New President & CEO: Beau BlakeSaskia Kunst, Group Strategy Manager, SBM Offshore

Saskia Kunst joined SBM Offshore in 2008 and has been the group strategy manager since 2009, a position in which she is also responsible for merger and acquisition activities. Previously, Kunst held executive positions in the ports and terminals industry in Asia and Europe at Hutchison Port Holdings from 1995 to 2000, and for Singapore-based PSA International through 2007 where she became country chief executive officer.

Rigzone caught up with Kunst to discuss international offshore trends, the “new” industry workforce, and pursuing a career in oil and gas.

Rigzone: What trends are you seeing in the international offshore industry that may impact oil and gas during the next few years?

Kunst: Most of the new reservoirs being discovered are in ever-deeper waters. This trend is important for SBM Offshore but also for the oilfield sector at large in terms of the requirements for products and services that will need to be provided. Deeper waters go hand in hand with more complex reservoirs with higher pressures and temperatures. The Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading units (FPSOs) that SBM is currently providing have increased in complexity due to requirements from our clients that are producing oil from these reservoirs.

At the same time, our clients, national oil companies and international oil companies alike, are exhibiting increased capital discipline and we believe that will continue this year.

Rigzone: Discuss some of the industry challenges SBM Offshore is trying to address through its floating production and mooring systems, and production operations, as well as terminals and services.

Kunst: Since late 2011, we’ve adopted a completely refocused strategy around our core products, FPSO units, and related systems. We are concentrating our invested capital on these core products for our clients. We are also very much focused on an appropriate risk-reward balance. We would like to work in a way that creates profitable, sustainable solutions for our customers and other stakeholders and properly reward us for the risk we take along the full product lifecycle.

It’s been a very deliberate choice to focus our capital, talent, management and marketing time on our core business as in these areas we have seen consistently good results. The market outlook for FPSOs shows that there will be plenty of opportunities in the coming years, so we will be able to stay focused on that core offering.

Rigzone: In other forums you’ve addressed the broader state of the markets, commodities pricing and investing. What are you seeing in these areas that warrants watching this year?

Kunst: We assess the macro trends as well as the big global shift in areas of supply and demand for oil and gas, capital and talent. My role, in conjunction with our board, is to find what is meaningful in all of that information and apply it to our strategy. Of course, we do have thoughts about our own growth pace in relation to the overall market growth. We’re seeing increased scrutiny from our clients for new and upcoming projects because they are getting more complex, are in deeper waters and are in more remote areas. There is also a longer timeline between initial discovery and final investment decision that we have to consider while planning our own life ahead as a company.

We live in an environment where geopolitical elements influence the wider energy mix, supply and demand, and commodity prices. All of these elements can clearly have an impact on contractors such as SBM Offshore.

Rigzone: The makeup of the oil and gas workforce is evolving. What trends have you noticed and are they positive or negative?

Kunst: If we look ahead across the next decade it’s clear that the whole industry is dealing with an age gap that will need to be covered with the right people somehow. Of course, we want to attract and retain talent for our own company but as an industry we are all facing significant challenges to getting all of the required talent in place. To be successful we may have to attract talent from other walks of life outside of energy. It’s a great industry for commercial, finance and business administration roles, for example. As an industry, we definitely need to build the pipeline of new leaders.

The oil and gas business is a very strategic sector. For decades to come, it will be developed according to trends in the overall macro environment. That’s the first level of attraction for talent. It’s also a very international environment. This creates a dynamic that is also attractive. We work in a business where technology, finance and commercial considerations all come together. This can also be appealing to individuals from all walks of life.

Rigzone: When did you decide to pursue a career in oil and gas? What drew you to this industry over others?

Kunst: Before working in oil and gas I worked for over a decade in the ports and terminals business. It’s as capital intensive as the oil and gas business and it’s just as international. It’s also similar in that it’s a pure business-to-business environment and revolves around projects with long investment horizons. Those levers are also at work in the oilfield services sector, but perhaps it’s more strategic than ports and terminals. Back in 2008 I switched sectors but there were quite a few similarities between them.

Rigzone: Can you discuss your role as group strategy director at SBM Offshore? How does it differ from your previous ports and terminals roles in Asia and Europe?

Kunst: Before joining SBM I was country chief executive officer and accountable for the investments a large multinational from Singapore made in Italy. In that role I also had to manage many operational issues. It was challenging to deal with the very unionized workforce in Italy and very demanding shareholders in Asia.

In SBM, I worked in a group function, reporting to our company’s chief executive officer. I worked jointly with our Management Board on the strategic transformation of the company and positioning ourselves for the future. This includes the development of a long term, 10-year vision for SBM. We’re also looking at strategies where technology plays a key part in keeping our competitive advantage.

Rigzone: Did mentors play a role in your career?

Kunst: Mentors play a very important role in supporting career advancement and offering guidance from a more senior perspective. I hope to be a good mentor myself for the people on my team and for my colleagues in the wider SBM community. I’ve had the privilege to work with individuals that have shared such important insights. Those were some of the greatest gifts I’ve been given during my career. Having people like that in your life can be a great motivator in business.

It can be difficult sometimes for senior employees to provide quality time for mentoring when there is no formal structure supporting this. It’s why programs designed to deliberately follow and mentor new talent are so important. They also play a role in developing the next generation of industry leaders. SBM has a program in place in which we actively mentor from more senior levels across the globe. However, young people at companies without formal programs should know that there is immense value just in connecting with coworkers with more experience. Their insights can help shorten your learning curve. As you mature in business what will be even more important than your technical skills are your skills in judgment and insight, and formal and informal mentors can help you grow in these areas.

Rigzone: You’ve held a number of management roles. What was your experience in being promoted?

Kunst: Moving up is always a combination of the possibilities within the organization, spotting them at the right time and your own appetite for increased responsibility. I haven’t been scrupulously planning every move in my career, but I do believe at the heart of being successful there is hard work and the need to invest a lot of oneself. You also have to be ready physically to possibly travel and work long hours whilst maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Finally, mentors also definitely played a role in some of the opportunities I have had during my career.

Rigzone: What are some challenges you’ve faced during your career? What kept you motivated?

Kunst: Professional life is not a series of continued successes. We all will face setbacks. But if you can look back and say that you performed your work in a diligent, scrupulous, responsible way, you should continue to believe in yourself and your team and be determined to overcome the challenging times. The resulting reward is in the teamwork that often takes place during these periods. It also makes you more mature and ready for the challenges ahead and increased responsibilities.

Rigzone: What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along the way?

Kunst: In a career, a person has to do what he or she really likes to do. The best positions are ones in which your personality can dovetail with the job requirements. Finally, focus on doing the very best work you can, and being recognized for your results as a professional instead of other factors.



WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.


Most Popular Articles