Lyndal Cissell
Editor's note: This profile is part of Hart Energy's 50th anniversary Hall of Fame series honoring industry pioneers of the past 50 years and the Agents of Change (ACEs) who are leading the energy sector into the future.
Lyndal Cissell watched her mother go back to school to earn a law degree and start a second career. That inspired her go after the lifestyle she always wanted.
Cissell decided to study petroleum engineering, one of only four women in the program at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. After graduation, she joined BJ Services as a nitrogen pump operator.
In 2002, Cissell moved to SLB as an MWD hand, but aspired to achieve more. Her self-described “pure stubbornness” was driving her to become a directional driller.
In 2004, she became one of the first female directional drillers in the world and plied her craft in Canada, the U.S., Turkmenistan and Chad. It was in Chad where she found a new calling.
“Chad was very impactful in seeing real energy poverty and seeing what the world looks like when you don’t have a reliable energy infrastructure in place to support its people,” Cissell told Hart Energy.
Seeing the quality of life in Chad shifted Cissell’s perspective on what was important and lit a new fire within her.
In her recent position as managing director for North America offshore, she created jobs in Alaska and other communities she worked in. The new workforce made up of local talent was could spend and invest in themselves and in their communities.
“Somewhere along the way, I moved from doing something because I wanted to prove that I could do it to making something better around me and leaving a legacy for the community,” she said.
This change in attitude was evident not only to Cissell herself, but also her friends and colleagues.
“There are lots of people who want make changes and there are few people that actually step in and do them,” Lori Fremin, president and general manager of Halermann & Carless, and fellow Energy Education Center board member with Cissell, told Hart Energy. “Lyndal is one of those that will not just say she wants to do something, but she’ll actually do it whether the charge is simple or extremely complex.”
Now as president of Americas Land at SLB, Cissell not only looks to drive innovation in technology but also serves as representation for the younger workforce entering the energy industry.
“Though I never had intended to be the representation for young girls, I think that it’s really important to be available to both the younger and mid-career workforces coming into our industry,” Cissell said. “Diversity and representation matters. Leaders like myself need to be accessible, have honest conversations and share our career paths and experiences so others can envision their own journey.”
—Jaxon Caines, Technology Reporter