Women in Energy: Zainub Noor, Halliburton

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[Editor's note: Influential Women In Energy 2021 is a supplement to the May 2021 issue of Oil and Gas Investor magazine. Subscribe to the magazine here.]

Zainub Noor, technology director with Halliburton, says her father is a 40-year oil and gas veteran and a beacon for her.

“You are better than no one and no one is better than you, treat all respectfully and do your absolute best in whatever you choose to do” was a principle taught by her father.

What motivates her is the opportunity to work with exceptional people across the globe on cutting-edge technologies to provide energy for the world, minimize carbon footprint, and enhance safety and efficiency.

“Being a primary energy source with tremendous impact on the progress of humanity, the oil and gas industry is at the forefront of innovation, in the most difficult of environments, reaching thousands of feet below at accuracy of within a few inches,” she said. “We have multiple touchpoints everyday with products that come from this industry without even realizing it. It will continue to be a key source of energy for many decades to come along with other energy sources.”

“As an executive, I have the goal of surrounding myself with mentors who inspire me and encourage me to stretch through their example, and I am exceeding that goal as well.” 

Supportive environment 

“Contrary to popular belief that oil and gas is not an ideal place for women, in my experience, I found it to be very supportive, thriving and a rewarding environment for women. As Abraham Lincoln said, ‘The best way to predict your future is to create it.’ Despite the challenges, I have set clear targets for myself, and persistence helped me achieve it. As professionals, it is important to have a supportive environment and mentorship. It is also equally important as women, who wear multiple hats simultaneously as mothers, to have a supportive partner that understands your career goals and aspirations, stands with to you achieve them and thrive, and makes the journey much more exciting.”

Proactive perspective 

“I learned early on to be proactive, customer-obsessed and always think win-win. Being proactive opens up many doors and opportunities to learn, grow and develop. Being customer-obsessed enables you to better understand customer perspective, and thinking win-win ensures success of all parties for any type of challenge. My most memorable projects are those where I proactively took leadership, understood customer challenges, and developed and delivered on a win-win strategy.” 

Career milestone 

“Starting off as a young engineer and now lead- ing a global technology development organization is a career milestone. Being a global R&D head, I am responsible for a large organization with team members from various countries, cultures and backgrounds, working together every day to develop world-leading solutions for our industry, which is a rewarding experience. Every day is challenging but exciting, while coming up with new and innovative technologies that are more effective and more carbon efficient. Throughout my journey at Halliburton, the support from executive management has been key in achieving all my career milestones.”

Formative experience 

“Continuous development is key for success. The world around you is constantly evolving. There- fore, in addition to delivery on the job, one must continuously evolve their skill sets. I am always striving to enhance my skill sets to improve both my intelligence and emotional quotients, expand my horizon, my thinking and learning. Secondly, empathy is the most important trait for leadership to connect people, inspire them and empower them to deliver the best for themselves, their teams and their organization.” 

Motivating mentors 

“Since joining Halliburton, the organization provided many opportunities to grow, learn and develop. Over the years, my key mentors have been Halliburton’s executive management. They provide me with the platform and leadership opportunities to grow and develop. One executive with Halliburton gave me advice many years ago: be proactive and persistent, deliver the best at your current job and, most importantly, help others to be successful. I implement that every day of my professional life.” 

View the full on-demand video interviews featuring this year’s honorees at HartEnergyConferences.com/Women-in-Energy