Tellurian CEO, Meg Gentle, spoke recently with young professionals about the power and possibilities of natural gas to change our industry and the world. They heard many of the same persuasive, informed arguments they had heard from other speakers – how natural gas is partnering with renewables to be part of the energy mix and how it is a cleaner, more environmentally-friendly option. And then they heard something they wouldn’t hear anywhere else: Meg’s personal advice on how to be successful in this industry and in life.
The Gentle “Giant” gave three pieces of advice.
“Be a humble and kind servant all of the time.”
Meg spent 13 years of her career at Anadarko. She told the story of being invited to meet with then-CEO Bob Ellison and other executives. She was 23 at the time, close in age to many of the participants. One of the gentlemen gave her his coffee order. She recalled being terrified, as she doesn’t drink coffee. (Most likely, making coffee also didn’t fall under her job description.) She managed to figure it out and gave the man his coffee. She then took her place next to Bob Ellison. The man looked at her sheepishly and later thanked her.
“That stayed with me,” she told the audience. “How can you serve others? That comes back to you 10 times over later in your career. We’re always told, ‘You’re a woman, you’re too young, you’re too short, your voice is too squeaky [referring to her own voice, which really isn’t squeaky; it’s young-sounding]; figure out what makes you unique.”
“Family is absolutely the most important thing.”
Including her husband, whom she said “has supported me through everything,” she counts eight people – three stepchildren, two birth children, and her in-laws – among her family. “Those people are always my first priority, although I can’t always do [certain things] or I wouldn’t be up here [as CEO]. Someone to lean on when the day is hard, someone to celebrate with. When you put families first, your employees are healthier, happier, more stable. Personally, I want people to be happy and sane!” she said to laughter from the audience.
“Work your ass off.”
(They may not have expected that coming from the woman with the self-described “squeaky voice.”) “There’s no free lunch. If you’re not tired and it isn’t hard, you might not be working hard enough. That’s not always working longer hours; it’s working smarter and prioritizing, getting your brain to grow and expand. Work your ass off. That’s how you get to this very spot,”said Gentle,
Gentle's advice pays off
Meg’s advice is sage. A few days after her speech, Tellurian signed a $7.5B pact with Petronet LNG.
More about Meg Gentle
Meg joined Tellurian as President and CEO in August 2016. She previously served as Executive Vice President-Marketing at Cheniere Energy, Inc. In addition, she served as Senior Vice President-Marketing, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President-Strategic Planning & Finance, Vice President of Strategic Planning, and Manager of Strategic Planning for Cheniere.
