Innovation, Knowledge Management & Strategy Activist
Houston, Texas Area
Innovation, Knowledge Management & Strategy Activist
Houston, Texas Area
I have THE BEST job in the company... leading our product line's innovation and commercialization effort, collaborating with some amazing people and working on fun projects. I often spend WAY too much time reading and evangelizing innovation, knowledge management (KM), change management and a wide range of absurd ideas. But I enjoy what I do and know the work has a positive impact.
Over the last nine years, I've held various roles in the upstream oil industry. Most roles presented GREAT opportunties to learn and stretch or work on exciting projects like championing the KM effort, developing commercialization plans and leading an innovation effort.
Innovation and collaboration are particular passions. So it's no surprise my most fulfilling career accomplishments are those that leveraged KM tools and communities of practice to drive innovation. I oversaw the creation and ongoing evolution a system and process to collect, assess and manage employee ideas and opportunities. We work hard to access the ‘wisdom of the crowd’ and identify stakeholder needs to improve product/service/business model design and commercialization. Beyond the ‘bits and bytes’, I continue to explore methods like ‘innovation games’ to improve collection, assessment and testing of insights and concepts.
Lately, much of my time has been focused on commercializing new technologies. This includes:
- developing new business models and structures needed to deploy and sustain the new technologies
- developing and communicating the vision and go-to-market plan to internal and external audiences
- working with mulitple stakeholders (customers, BD, marketing, supply chain, operations, R&D, executives, etc.) to validate, improve and execute the plan
At times (most of the time) I drive my colleagues a bit crazy with my unorthodox perspectives, constant questions and passion for candid dialogue. But I firmly believe these traits help the team create and capture value for the organization.
Innovation management, knowledge management, marketing, strategy development, problem solving, corporate storytelling, asking unpopular questions
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; HAL; Oil & Energy industry)
February 2008 — Present (1 year 10 months)
Best. Job. Ever! Strategic innovation and commercialization role focused on identifying, assessing and deploying the right technologies to the right markets (internal or external) at the right time. Coordinate efforts and facilitate cross-functional work amongst stakeholders inside and outside the product line and company. Published several papers and presented at internal and external conferences. Specifically supports the Baroid Fluid Services product service line.
(Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; HAL; Oil & Energy industry)
February 2007 — February 2008 (1 year 1 month)
Strategic manpower planning role designed to bridge the gap between global operations and human resources. Emphasis on creating, championing and overseeing staffing processes and tools to build the future organization. Activity geared towards positively affecting talent management goals (recruitment, retention, training, competency assessment, etc.) during a period of rapid growth. Analyzed and presented staffing statistics, recommended courses of action for the global organization and mentored staff.
(Public Company; Oil & Energy industry)
2006 — 2006 (less than a year)
Primary emphasis on collecting, analyzing and distributing market intelligence. Participation in business unit strategy development and marketing projects. Strong activity supporting the knowledge management effort and developing/championing new innovation / RD&C processes and tools.
(Public Company; Oil & Energy industry)
2003 — 2006 (3 years )
The second best job ever! Dedicated knowledge management role actively involved in 'getting the right information to the right person at the right time.' Primary emphasis on facilitating discussion, creating/sustaining/leveraging a social network to meet business needs, administering KM tools, creating new processes and value propositions, 'selling the vision' up-down-and-across the organization and aligning the KM effort with business strategy. Published several papers and presented at internal and external conferences.
Key participant in several marketing projects and innovation / RD&C process improvements.
(Public Company; Oil & Energy industry)
2000 — 2003 (3 years )
Business development position supporting local sales team. Drive proposal generation, regional market analysis and reporting, and participate in local strategy and planning proceses.
(Military industry)
1989 — 1998 (9 years )
Active Duty / Personnel Management / 1995-1998 / Fort Wainwright (Alaska)
Active Duty / Infantry / 1992-1995 / Fort Ord (California), Fort Lewis (Washington), and Panama
Nat'l Guard / Infantry / 1989-1992 / Washington State
MBA , General Management , 2000 — 2006
BSOE , Personnel Management , 1995 — 1999
1988 — 1991
Innovation, knowledge management, strategy, camping, history, adoption, WACAP, and most important of all: spending time with my family!
Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Through LinkedIn Q&A
KM & innovation papers & presentations:
- "Tap into the ‘Creativity of the Crowd’!" for Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) 2008 Intelligent Energy conference
- "Leverage Knowledge Management Tools to Better Understand and Meet the Needs of the Industry" for SPE 2007 Digital Energy conference
- "Identifying Future Leaders through Knowledge Management" for SPE 2006 Intelligent Energy conference
- "Case History: Service Company Uses KM to Focus the Application of Global Best Practices in Venezuela and Latin America" for SEFLU CEMPO VI (5/06)
- "Knowledge Management: Aligning Activity with Strategy" for 9th Int'l Petroleum Data Management Conference in 2005
- "KM Tools to Impact Product Development Process" at FEI Europe 2009
Other publications:
- Interview in AAPG's journal Explorer – 8/08
- Article in E&P magazine – 6/07
- "Identifying Future Leaders through KM" printed in Journal of Petroleum Technology – 10/06
- Interview in the Digital Energy Journal – 6/06