María Laura García, CHRO of Tecpetrol, spoke at the Youth Oil & Gas, a day specially designed to appeal to the younger generation.

As a member of the panel discussing "Diversity, job placement and new ways of working”, María Laura García, Chief Human Resources Officer of the company and leader of the company’s diversity program, known as +d, addressed an auditorium made up mostly of students, graduates or professionals taking their first steps in the industry. The occasion was the Youth Oil & Gas Conference, held on the last day of the international Argentina Oil & Gas Patagonia 2022, which traditionally honors International Youth Day.

"The world is diverse, and that’s our point of departure," began García. “Tecpetrol is a company created by four generations that today live and work together and we see the need to capitalize on this variety by fostering ever more stimulating, creative, and dynamic environments. We have a presence in many different countries and regions: diversity is our ally.”

In the company of the other panel members Marisol Bordón, manager of Culture and Change at YPF, and Victoria Traverso, Talent manager at PAE, García explained that “Diversity is a capital that must be developed because everything is changing all the time, which enriches our personal and professional experience. Today, for example, more and more women are pursuing careers of interest to the industry, such as engineers, geologists, and technicians, enriching the labor market with different yet complementary perspectives. At Tecpetrol, we have our +d program, launched four years ago to break down the barriers in a decisive way. Half of Tecpetrol's Young Professionals today are women. The more diversity there is, our processes will improve.”

Commitment to innovation and change, balanced by solid teamwork. “Last year, we created a governance committee for +d, which is an independent entity made up of three men and four women from different nationalities and of different ages. This has helped us take a qualitative leap in the area, as it’s no longer the Human Resources sector but Tecpetrol as a whole that is calling on us to tackle the issue. Young Professionals bring great value to the table when it comes to promoting diversity. Although much still needs to be done, and there are many initiatives that still need to be taken, it’s young people who’re driving the epic projects that are so important to us, such as Fortin de Piedra, with their enthusiasm and energy.”

The Dual Careers program is also about working with new paradigms. “In this industry, sometimes you get posted to other cities or to other countries. We started noticing that, unlike previous generations, the younger crowd was responding, 'I’d love to go, but my partner is in a similar profession and I can't move.' Dual Careers offers partners support by accompanying them to the destination and helping them to enter the labor market. We’ve been doing this for three years, and it’s clear that this brings down another barrier and adds a great deal of value, as much for our people’s professional careers as for their families.”

Conversations are front and center. The area is keen for its proposal to be understood by everyone so that they can all be involved in this process. García says there that the focus is on the work climate they want to have. "It’s a sign of health in our work climate that we’re able to go out there, listen to people and raise proposals for their initiatives to be carried out."

Thinking from the point of view of people, their ideas and initiatives, as well as from the point of view of their diversity and differences. Now, the company is looking to the next generation, who will take up the baton with energy and renewed ambition. “They’re passionate and enthusiastic; they bring ideas and ideals with them. For us at Tecpetrol, welcoming them into our midst means renewing our energy, it’s like a breath of fresh air. I was in Fortin de Piedra yesterday and the truth is that we are facing a big challenge as there’s so much to do, what’s around the corner is truly immense. There are many people who will take this forward, and we want to involve young people and invite them to enjoy this transformative and energizing experience with us.”