Leadership

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Kennedy School of Government CR14-04-1764.0
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Case Program

Discovery in the Amazon

A Career in the Oil Industry

It took me a lot less than my seven years in the oil industry to recognizethat it is a male business. Most oil basins happen to be located in very hostile environments, forcing engineers and technicians to deal with extreme climate challenges, on offshore platforms or in deserts and jungles. In such circumstances, oil workers are definitely tough men. Success in the industry, I learned, depends on appreciating these field conditions; it signals one's understanding of thebusiness. It also means that natural self-selection and a machista culture make the South American oil industry a particularly difficult environment for women.

I was born and raised in Brazil, with the clear message that extra effort was required if I wished to succeed as a female professional. I decided to study chemical engineering, my father's career, mainly because of mynatural inclination toward the exact sciences and a desire for a problem-solving vocation. During my university years, I got used to male environments out of necessity, as I was the only woman to graduate in my class. I had to learn to work with men,
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£g understanding the natural differences of approach. I never tried to be one of them. On the
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U contrary, over the years I made them understand and accept the differences, which was an
enriching learning experience for everybody.

After graduation, I extended my studies for a year to learn about the new field of environmental engineering. At the time, environmental issues were far from being part of thepublic concerns of a developing country, and traditional professors resisted them. My mentor's reaction was typical; by choosing that field I was ruining my career, he said. With the weight of that prophesy on my shoulders, I began my job search.

This disguised case was written in 2004 as part of an exercise in "Ethics in Government," for use at the John F. Kennedy School of Government,Harvard University, and has been edited by Kenneth Winston, Lecturer in Ethics. (0604)

Copyright © 2004 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College. No part of this publication may be reproduced, revised, translated, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) withoutthe written permission of the Case Program. For orders and copyright permission information, please visit our website at www.ksgcase.harvard.edu or send a written request to Case Program, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

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Since job opportunities arepretty scarce, one's initial career choice is often a lifetime
decisión. It is extremely rare to consider a change once you have a few years of experience, and
switching companies displays a lack of loyalty. Thinking in the long term, I looked for a growing
industry where I could learn the practical side of engineering. In the early 90s, the chemical and
g petrochemical industries wereexpanding rapidly in Latin America. I felt very lucky to obtain an
offer as a process engineer in the petrochemical branch of Brazil's leading energy company. For chemical engineers trained in industrial processes, the most respected position in any industry is the process engineer who is the technical authority in the production line.
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As a curious and...