Barbara Harrison

The best advice Barbara Harrison ever received was from her dad, a chemical engineer.

“You don’t have to actually be an engineer, but with an engineering degree, people will know that you are smart, can solve problems and work hard,” he told her. “That opens up most opportunities for you.”

Her career path has reflected her dad’s advice.

“My core engineering degree got me in the door, but growing as a leader and growing my commercial aptitude is what has allowed me to advance,” Harrison said.

Her first opportunity in oil and gas was a summer internship in California, which Harrison, then a student at University College Dublin, seized upon.

“I quickly fell in love with the size and impact of the energy industry and the solutions we create every day,” she said. “I was hooked and finished up university and returned to Chevron as a full-time employee when I graduated.”

Harrison advanced quickly at the supermajor, beginning as a process engineer at the Richmond (Calif.) Refinery, then moving up through Chevron’s downstream and chemicals business. Eventually, she was named general manager, value chain optimization for Asia. It was an opportunity to live in Singapore for almost three years.

“I really appreciated learning the international downstream business, cultural norms outside the U.S. work environment and the diverse experience for our family,” she said.

Her father was not the only mentor with useful career advice. Jim Gable, now president of Chevron Technology Ventures, was Harrison’s manager when she was in her first team lead position. His guidance was to provide executives with the information they need to make a decision, not for her to share all the information she has.

“This critical distinction in both thinking about when and how decisions are made and how I can concisely and impactfully share the appropriate level of information is a skill I still consciously practice to this day,” she said. “But getting that guidance then allowed me to start flexing a critical muscle early.”

Colleen Cervantes, who retired in 2023 as president of Chevron Chemicals, offered Harrison valuable advice on how and why to delegate. First, think about what her managers or team members can do and what only she can do. Performing tasks that subordinates are capable of handling keeps an executive from spending time on projects where only she can make a difference.

But it’s more than that: it also takes away the opportunity for subordinates to grow and earn her position in the future.

“She turned my struggles with delegation as not just an issue for managing my own workload, but also a disservice to my leadership team,” Harrison said. “It completely changed my perspective and actions going forward.”

While she endured some negative experiences as a woman in the workplace early in her career, she describes them as well-meaning but misplaced.

“An example being a more experienced male colleague assuming that decisions that made sense for their spouse and family would also make sense for me and translating that to opportunities,” she said. “I learned early to be a strong advocate for myself and my career aspirations—never let an assumption linger when you can share your actual viewpoint.”

Harrison advises young professionals, particularly women, to not be afraid of entering a male-dominated industry.

“There are amazing opportunities for everyone, mentors who have paved the way and a culture that is evolving all the time to meet the needs of working professionals—men and women!” she said. “If you are looking for an industry where your only limitation is your ambition, then the energy industry provides tremendous opportunity to have a broad experience, grow skills and develop as a leader.”

Check out the rest of Hart Energy's 2024 Women in Energy here.