Karen Thomas

I manage a team of 30 people (mostly men). We are part of a project that will build a new oil processing plant in Tengiz, Kazakhstan.  My team's job is to manage and direct our contractor's work. We also determine the sequence of events required to complete our part of this project, to make sure that the work required by others can be done. Sections of the oil processing plant were pre-built in Korea. Then they were shipped to our construction site in Kazakhstan on ocean transport barges.

We use very large cranes to lift the pre-built parts to form the finished product. These cranes can lift parts that are up to 3000 tonnes! Using wheeled trailers, we then transport these connected units to their foundations. To do this, we need to have specialized lift and transportation plans in place. This ensures the project will be completed safely.

Our work is the enabler for work of others. Because of this, we need to understand the larger project priorities. This helps us deliver our part of the work in the correct sequence. I make decisions every day that ensure we meet these requirements. I use the overall project schedule to drive priorities. I use my engineering background to make technical decisions. My background as a structural engineer provides the expertise and the logical thinking required to make these decisions. Before I make a decision, I have to understand all factors that will affect the decision.  Only then will I actually make the decision.

This project is multi-national and I work with people from all over the world. My contractor has people from over 32 countries on their team. I wish I could speak more languages!