Women in Energy: Jennifer Hoffman, Olympus Energy

Presented by:

Holding several different roles within different companies in the energy industry has given Jennifer Hoffman a well-rounded perspective of the many varying facets of the sector and the challenges that come with each position. At every company she has worked, she was able to implement her effective and compassionate style of leadership to boost morale and enable productivity within each team.

“Today, my goals are far more external and team-focused, though still entail learning: 1. To foster Olympus’s culture and ensure that collaboration and engagement continue to grow, even as we have the ability to work remotely; 2. to create authentic connections and help my team do so also; and 3. to help my team develop professionally and personally,” Hoffman said.

Branching out

“My colleague at the [Susquehanna River Basin] Commission, Mike Brownell, took a position at Chesapeake Energy in its Appalachian business unit in 2010. When Mike moved to Oklahoma City to take on a larger role at Chesapeake, he hired me to fill his place at Chesapeake as the regulatory affairs adviser in Pennsylvania. I’m still grateful for the opportunity, as it has certainly allowed me to learn, grow and live in a larger world.”

Leadership development

“By far, the most formative professional and educational experience that I’ve had was an 18-monthlong leadership development program, led by Dr. Marla Sanchez of Spectrum Development, when I was the regulatory director at Chesapeake Energy. This program helped me to exponentially grow my emotional intelligence, leadership abilities, conflict resolution skills and understand my team.”

From adviser to EVP

“I’ve always seen myself as an adviser, and I’m very comfortable in that role, so when Chris Doyle, my previous executive vice president at Chesapeake, asked me to join him as the vice president for EHS and regulatory when he accepted the CEO and president role at Olympus in 2016, I was both thrilled and trepidatious. Chris is someone that I deeply respect and admire, as well as genuinely like, so I absolutely couldn’t refuse. I never saw myself in a VP role, but I’m thrilled to be operating in it.”

Facing challenges

“Throughout my career, I’ve been either the only woman or one of the very few women in the room, whether that was at a biology conference 25 years ago or a board meeting a few months ago. With this comes a variety of concerns from figuring out how to pee in the woods when doing a site inspection with your male colleague to strategizing about how to increase the presence and voice of the women in your organization. Building my emotional intelligence and being aware of my triggers has allowed me to effectively communicate and navigate difficult situations. But it’s also a fine line to walk, particularly when first starting out as a woman in the energy industry or in the science field, as you don’t want to be seen as someone who can easily be ignored and discounted or someone who doesn’t belong at the table or as a little girl who needs to be protected or as the proverbial witch to be targeted. I’ve found that being clear, kind, and curious generally works as an effective approach in any situation.”

Click here for a full list of “25 Influential Women in Energy” honorees for 2022.