Brian E. Halchak
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Brian Halchak’s first hint that his career was about to take flight at the Williams Cos. was when, as an entry-level engineer, he was assigned to evaluate the potential for drone use. “I was able to come up with a variety of ideas which led to the purchase of a few drones to test them out,” he says. “I spent a year going around and testing drone technologies for use in safety inspections, pipeline monitoring, 3D modeling, vegetation health, methane leak detection and more.”
What qualities do you think are necessary to be a good leader in the oil and gas industry?
Compassion: A successful leader needs to have the ability to connect with their team on a personal level to build trust with them. Having empathy and actively listening to their thoughts, ideas and concerns are critical to building effective teams.
Decisiveness: Leaders in the oil and gas industry are often faced with difficult decisions that require immediate action. Making the choice to step into a leadership role requires the understanding that there is a responsibility to evaluate and make decisions, even when they are hard or unfavorable. Oftentimes, decisions also need to be made quickly. The leader must have the technical aptitude to be able to rapidly and effectively decide on the best path forward without approval from senior leaders. Doing what is right, regardless of perceptions or what others think, also often leads to tough decisions that leaders need to stand by.
Composure: Maintaining poise and clear thinking under pressure or in stressful situations is critical. A leader is looked up to and their emotions are reflected in how team members react to situations. Maintaining composure in challenging situations will help the team move forward and solve problems more effectively.
Who is your mentor?
The biggest mentor that I have had throughout my life and career is my father. He was an officer in the United States Army, and the best advice he gave me as I entered into my career was to understand to the best of your abilities the challenges that the people in the field face. His experience was that the best leaders he worked with in the military were the ones who started out enlisted and worked their way up to being officers. He would always tell me that their perspective was extremely valuable because they truly understood the work of their teams, because they had done it in the past. Throughout my internships and early career, I leveraged this advice to be put into positions that allowed me to work directly with operations at Williams, in some cases job shadowing or doing their job with them, so that I can gain that perspective.
Which transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?
I believe there is a need for the oil and gas industry to advance its culture and technological mindset. Fostering a culture that embraces change, flexible work arrangements, digital innovation, experimentation and a data-driven approach to decision-making can foster innovation and help recruit top talent that is needed to progress the industry forward. Embracing technological advancements such as artificial intelligence will help develop intelligent assets that can optimize solutions, support autonomous operations, manage data from a variety of different sources and control risk for operators.
Take a look at the rest of the Forty Under 40 2024 winners.
