Katrien Verlinden
By the time she was 5 growing up in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, Katrien Verlinden had a gas turbine blade on her nightstand and knew that she would work in the energy industry. Her father, a mechanical engineer working in the global turbomachinery industry, sparked her early interest in engineering, energy and innovation with pictures of his trips in small planes and helicopters to offshore platforms in the North Sea and onshore oil & gas facilities in remote deserts.
The energy industry’s dynamic nature and potential for driving global progress offered her an environment to pursue her ambitions.
“I always wanted to make a positive and tangible difference by being in the business of designing and building highly technical things that are essential to all,” Verlinden said. “I also knew I wanted to work in an international environment, gain strong technical expertise and execution experience, and develop a global perspective on energy challenges and solutions.”
Verlinden started her career at Italy-based engineering, procurement and construction giant Saipem in 2000. She advanced from project engineer through management roles, mainly across the Middle East and North Africa, moving up to CEO of the company’s Algeria unit, and eventually relocated to Houston where she would become CEO of Saipem America and Country Manager for North America, responsible for all business lines.
“I have always been curious, looking for challenging opportunities to learn new skills and travel globally, and my different roles at Saipem have allowed me to do exactly this. At Saipem, we deliver a large range of solutions worldwide, including onshore, offshore, low carbon and drilling, with a constant need for innovation. I thrive in those demanding environments, and I am motivated by stretch assignments where I can tackle challenges with team spirit. My work is incredibly varied and engaging.”
Becoming a successful and effective leader is in no small part a result of how she has taken on the challenges in her career, first in the work that her company performs.
“The EPC industry is tough—we are always working really hard to deliver against challenging timelines and budgets, often in very harsh and remote locations,” she said. “Our work requires dedication, robust problem-solving skills, risk management and tenacity. It also requires a supportive family as we are often away from home for long periods of time. My husband is in Italy, while my parents and siblings all live in Belgium. I‘m blessed to be the aunt and godmother of a tribe of adorable nephews and nieces (the youngest just turned 1) and we make a collective effort to stay in touch frequently as we are a close-knit family,” Verlinden said.
She has also faced the challenge, shared with many, of being a woman in a male-dominated industry. Though Verlinden never sought to be a role model based on her gender instead of her work, she acknowledges the importance of being a woman in a leadership position.
“When I started my career, I became aware that I stood out among my male colleagues in the office or on site simply because there weren’t many women in the industry,” she said. “This (unwanted) visibility meant that my skills would be under greater scrutiny and judged more harshly. I quickly realized that I could overcome this first perception by showing my passion for the job, working very hard and delivering results, effectively proving that I belonged.”
In fact, her managers did not hold her back because of her gender and placed her in multiple leadership roles in different geographies and cultures.
“Being often the outsider, as the only foreigner and/or woman, posed initial challenges in each new role, but I found that once the team got to know me, I was always accepted,” Verlinden said. “In retrospect, it also helped me focus on learning quickly, collaborating well, becoming highly adaptable and resilient, bringing a positive attitude and team spirit—ultimately making me a better colleague and leader.”
Check out the rest of Hart Energy's 2025 Women in Energy here.
1. One of my nephews is Luciano Darderi, a professional tennis player with a current highest ATP ranking of 32. We have always been very close, and I am proud to see him excel.
2. Two things I do every single day are reading and studying Korean. I admittedly buy far more books than I can ever read. I am fluent in Dutch, Italian, English and French, but I am particularly passionate about languages with different writing systems. It all started with Ancient Greek in high school, but now I am focusing on Asian languages (Chinese, Japanese and especially Korean).
3. I am part of the Stanford alumni team who have founded Reaction, a global community and investment fund, whose mission is to measurably improve 1 billion lives within a decade.