Pamela Kearney Skaufel

In 2003, Pamela Kearney Skaufel found herself on an airfield in Chad, watching an Antonov transport aircraft laden with spare parts for Exxon Mobil’s Chad/Cameroon Development Project.

It was her first expatriate assignment as a procurement supervisor and it exposed her to the effort needed to start up a production facility and pipeline of that magnitude.

“We had thousands of critical spare parts that had to be available in Chad and had to be mobilized before startup,” Kearney Skaufel said. “It was a huge team effort for weeks to get everything staged and transported to an airfield in Chad. We started up on-time and feeling the sense of gratitude after all the hard work taught me the importance of working in a team, and the vital part everyone plays in a successful outcome.”

The native of Limerick, Ireland, was drawn to the industry while studying petroleum geology at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, an area dominated by the oil and gas sector.

“There were a huge variety of roles/careers I observed, which was very appealing to me,” Kearney Skaufel said. “I was fascinated with the technology and commerce associated with exploration, and I had a curiosity about large corporations and how business was conducted.”

That fascination continues, as she observes the changes sweeping the industry.

“I am excited to see new businesses emerging from our traditional energy sector,” she said. “Whether it’s biofuels, carbon capture, or hydrogen processing or plastic waste recycling as feedstock for new products. I am extremely proud to be part of this business that can change and is now leading some of the discussions globally on how we tackle emissions, but also being part of the solution.”

Over the course of her 26-year career, Kearney Skaufel said she has gained the confidence to take on tasks even if she lacks experience in that area, and to approach challenges with a learning mindset.

“I have also pivoted to the future and I want to make this industry better for those that follow me,” she said. “Including those that are driving business process outcomes/technology improvements and those that are creating really innovative procurement strategies to lower our cost of doing business.” 

The skills Kaerney Skaufel has learned over her career have also paid off outside of the office, helping her to make difficult choices as the Board President of the Houston Area Parkinsons Society.

"I would never have had the courage to do this without all the lessons I have learned at work about ‘doing hard things’," she said.

While Kearney Skaufel said she never felt like she would be denied opportunities to progress in her career at Exxon Mobil because she was a woman, she was also acutely aware of the challenges for women in the oil and gas industry.

“I attribute my own personal successes to being true to who I am, never compromising on my values of hard work and doing the right thing,” she said.

Her advice for young professionals, particularly women, is threefold:

• “Invest for the long term. This industry can take many turns and cycles and one role or job doesn’t define your career.”
• “Gain experience across the entire value chain and don’t limit yourself to your immediate view of either your education or your previous job.”
• “Think experiences—what experiences do I want to give me job satisfaction? It’s different for everyone and each career path will be different.”

She also cites a recent McKinsey study highlighting that oil and gas trails all other STEM industries in entry level female participation.

“This problem is not an industry issue alone, but is also an issue for the university system where women account for fewer STEM graduates than men,” Kearney Skaufel said. “As a leader in this industry now, I have a personal responsibility to change this trajectory. We can do this by being advocates for our business, encouraging younger women to be part of it and showing them that they belong in this business. I try and do this every day.”

Check out the rest of Hart Energy's 2024 Women in Energy here.