Young Member Visionary 2018: Ross O'Brien

Ross O’Brien is the winner of the 2018 Young Member Visionary Award; he says it is an honour for him to be recognised in this way.

“I feel incredibly honoured and proud of the recognition,” he says. “It also prompts me to reflect on how fortunate I’ve been. My company has given me excellent opportunities along the way and I’ve worked with great people.

“On top of this, I’ve always been supported by my family and my girlfriend. All of this makes a huge difference.”

Ross currently works for BP in their Downstream Team, manufacturing fuels and other products, a job that has sent him all over the world.

“The energy industry is truly global and it’s given me the chance to travel,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate to work in locations such as Japan, Malaysia, India, China, Colombia and many countries in Europe. Learning and understanding cultures from all over the world is something that I value highly.

“I also have a real interest in technology and where I work gives me the license to explore. This involves working with exciting new companies that think differently and are constantly pushing the boundaries.”

Looking to the future, Ross says winning the award has given him the motivation to drive forward in his career and work towards a low carbon future.

“This award has already given me the motivation to continue developing myself and those around me,” he says. “I’m keen to inspire the next generation to join the energy industry and hopefully this can help me with that objective. I personally believe that the greatest challenge in the world right now is energy, and we need the next generation to help us.

“My goal is to develop into a leader within the industry so that I can help us achieve a low carbon future. Along the way I want to encourage as many children as possible to study STEM subjects in school and later pursue careers in engineering. The future will certainly be challenging but I’m optimistic that our best years are ahead of us.”