Sushma Bhan

Non-Executive Director, Ikon Science; Technical Director, Data Science & Engineering Analytics, SPE
WIE
WIE

The oil and gas industry has evolved in multiple ways during Sushma Bhan’s career, and so has she. Not content to remain in technical roles at Shell, she earned an executive MBA, which allowed her to pivot into leadership positions.

“Learning how to manage a business and getting hands-on experience made a key difference for me and helped my business career blossom,” Bhan said. She joined technical organizations, as well, enabling her to keep her skills sharp and up to date.

“Joining Society of Petroleum Engineers was particularly helpful, as it gave me the opportunity to publish industry papers and to present at conferences, which broadened my reach, confidence and knowledge,” she said. “SPE also helped enhance my multidisciplinary know-how and technical acumen, and provided keen external insights that were valuable for my leadership roles within Shell, and today at Ikon Science.”

Bhan was encouraged to pursue a career in oil and gas by her husband, Opinder, a scientist at Shell. She was particularly drawn to Shell because of its international operations, growing computing applications and technical leadership in deep water, and took a job in production computing operations in 1988.

“I quickly realized that technical expertise and delivering results were important,” she said.  “These became my mantras for success.”

She’s shared her knowledge to help other achieve success, as well. From 2002-2003, she led Shell’s women’s employee network, which supports women’s retention, attraction and progression in the company. She has also mentored women and provided them with opportunities to contribute, lead and be visible within Shell and SPE.

Bhan advises young professionals to follow her lead in continually sharpening and updating their skills and strategic know-how. Achieving results, she said, comes down to five key factors:

  • Enhancing communications skills;
  • Building courage and confidence;
  • Showcasing commitment;
  • Collaborating (building alliances); and
  • Connecting the dots (strategic focus).

“Lastly, and most importantly, remember to believe in yourself,” she said. “If you don’t, others won’t, either.” 

Bhan has relied on different mentors and role models throughout her career, but her most important one was her manager in the Netherlands.

“He firmly believed in quality work and always encouraged me to drive excellence,” she said. “One key mantra that I hold with me to this day is that ‘nothing succeeds like success.’ By that, I mean that one should lead by example and strive for excellence every step of the way.

Another message that has resonated with her is, “what you measure, you can improve.” In other words, value must be quantified, measured and tracked, because this is the only way to make results visible to customers and stakeholders.

Bhan’s goals have broadened from the project-focused ambitions of developing software and achieving customer satisfaction early in her career.

“I want to help the energy industry leverage existing and cutting-edge technology for industry-wide results,” she said. “I also want to foster multidisciplinary collaboration across an integrated value chain. Key to this vision is ensuring women and talented professionals both locally and worldwide are included in current and future opportunities within the industry.”

This is all the more important as the industry races to meet new challenges.

“The world’s energy needs are continually changing,” Bhan said. “To thrive in this dynamic environment, the industry needs to be agile, not only by embracing new data science techniques, but also by nurturing talent from diverse backgrounds. We need to educate the world about the industry’s innovations on safety and environmental issues. I think women will have a greater central role to play in all this.”

Check out the rest of Hart Energy's 2024 Women in Energy here. 
Three More Things
  1. I started my first role around production data in early 1988 and joined Shell’s wells digitalization initiative in 1991. Becoming the Chief Data Officer at Shell was the culmination of a global journey for me and helped demonstrate my growth, both personally and professionally. Expanding from local West Texas assets to the producing assets of over 20 countries is something I couldn’t have imagined at the onset of my career’s journey.
  2. I have fun creating art using oil pastels.
  3. While “SMART” goals were learned much later in my career, I discovered the importance of hitting the right target all the way back in high school, when I was the State Javelin champion in New Delhi. “Watch out, when Sushma has a javelin in her hand or any task, she’s unstoppable.”