On Friday July 19, 2019, Schlumberger announced that chief executive officer and chairman of the board, Paal Kibsgaard, has resigned effective August 1st. Kibsgaard was with Schlumberger for the past 22 years.
Le Peuch brings 32 years of experience within Schlumberger to the top position and, according to Kibsgaard, is "ideally suited to lead Schlumberger into the next chapter of our history."
The question on the minds at Pink Petro is: how will the change in leadership affect women in the industry?
Schlumberger employs 100,000 people worldwide in 120 countries representing 140 nationalities, yet only 19% of their workforce is female. This is the norm for service companies but diversity and inclusion are on the rise. The global energy industry is beginning to grasp the value of women in all roles and how they positively impact innovation and value.
This leadership change inspires us to foresee the day that a woman is appointed CEO of a major global service company. The final question is: which will be the first to take this momentus step?