Networking groups range in opportunities and goals. Some groups focus on professionals from a single industry while others are limited to age, area, and gender.
Women's Energy Network (WEN) provides networking opportunities for women in the energy industry and fosters career and leadership development. WEN currently has chapters in the Appalachian region, Houston, North Texas, Washington, DC, and southeastern Louisiana. To become a member, the female candidate must be an active professional involved in the energy industry. A bachelor's degree is required or 5 years of professional working experience within the energy industry. A candidate must also receive a recommendation from an existing WEN member.
In April WEN partnered with the Houston midtown chapter of the Society for Financial Awareness at the Financial Literacy event at the United Way. Lori McDowell, 2012 WEN president, noted, "As the premier professional group dedicated to supporting women in the energy industry, one of WEN's priorities is helping our 1,000+ members advance in their careers. Just as education and training are necessary to move ahead in the complex world of energy, so too is financial literacy critical for our members to achieve personal and professional success for themselves and their families. We are pleased to partner with SOFA and help inspire women of all ages take control of their financial future."
Future generations
Young Professionals in Energy (YPE) is a nonprofit networking organization that brings the next generation of energy leaders together with more than 20,000 members worldwide. YPE seeks involvement from a broad base of professionals working in the energy industry. YPE is dedicated to providing a forum for networking and career development for professionals in the global energy industry. It runs a year-round calendar of events in 20 chapters around the world with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship, personal development, and professional development. The calendar includes speaker series, receptions, luncheons, community service opportunities, happy hours, and other events.
On Oct. 30, the YPE Houston breakfast series topic will be: "Energy Banking in Latin America: A Dual Perspective." The discussion of the energy banking environment in Latin America will take place at BHP Tower. Joe Amador and Rolf Schmitz will go over mergers and acquisitions and financing trends in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Amador is currently a director at Scotiabank's energy M&A group in Houston. Schmitz is a director in Scotiabank's Energy corporate banking group and head of LatAm Energy. There will be a discussion of the E&P industry in these countries, along with case studies of transactions executed by Scotiabank.
On line groups
An on line networking group that provides a worldwide forum for oil field professionals is Drilling Ahead. It has a variety of oil field groups such as the Wyoming Roughnecks, Oilfield Solids Control, Oilfield Old School, Oilfield Tattoos, and the Oilfield Wives Club.
The Oilfield Wives Club is for women who know what it's like to be "married to the oil field." The members can share stories about the lifestyle and develop friendships. The Oilfield Tattoos group is a place for members to share pictures of their oil field ink. Drilling Ahead has news clips, blogs, and links to purchase oil field gifts such as jewelry, safety gear, and custom items. Also on Drilling Ahead are photos, comics, and video clips of The Oilfield Shuffle (roughneck dance moves).
