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Integrating diverse worldviews is a significant business advantage that cultivates innovation and adaptability. At the end of the day, organizations are a reflection of society.

At CWT we are committed to fostering an environment that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunities for all, regardless of our ethnic and cultural backgrounds, age, sexual orientation, disability or gender.

Nevertheless, when looking at a sector like Oil, Gas and Mining – women are poorly represented (22.7%), according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2023. We had a chat with some of the top executives at CWT Energy, Resources & Marine (ERM), CWT’s specialized division, to gather their views on industries still very much dominated by men.

Danièle Gadbois, Vice President, Global Sales, leads the global ERM business development efforts after holding different executive roles within CWT’s Customers organization. She was awarded the GBTA Business Travel Professional Service Award.

Lucy Gibson, Traveler Experience Senior Director, oversees the counselor teams servicing ERM business globally. Once her two daughters were in school, she embarked on her management career, with one of the highlights being her involvement in Operational Excellence, earning her Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt certification.

Diversity in the workplace brings many benefits to a company. Are you seeing a positive evolution in the ERM industry with regards to women?

Danièle: Yes! We are seeing more and more women taking positions of leadership within the ERM client base. Diversity and inclusion are top of mind for many of our clients. Despite the strides that have been made, there are still many areas where women are under-represented in the industry.

Why do you believe it is important to have women in decision-making roles in this traditionally male-dominated industry?

Lucy: I believe that the right person for the job should be based on the ability to get the job done effectively and efficiently. Bypassing a woman just because of her gender puts companies at a great disadvantage as they could be passing up the best ‘man’ for the role.

Have you had any experiences that have shocked you or reminded you that while there’s been a lot of progress, there’s still a long way to go?

Danièle: I have often had personal experiences of being the only woman in the room in a prospective business meeting or, depending on the culture, have been dismissed or undervalued in discussions. I believe it is important, regardless of industry, to do your homework. Understand who you will be meeting with, what cultural practices they may observe, and be sensitive to those needs.

Any that have really encouraged you?

Lucy: Many of our top ERM clients have women heading up their global travel programs. This is very encouraging to me as it illustrates that, more and more, companies are choosing the people to lead their companies based on credentials, not gender.

Renewables are the fastest-growing energy market and many industry sources affirm this is a field where women are gaining momentum. Do you agree?

Danièle: Yes, definitely! We are seeing more women in all sectors, from management to engineering to grassroots development be included as employees in the renewable space. Renewables are the future. Potentially because they are focused on tomorrow and are new and up and coming companies, their leaders have taken gender equity more seriously. There is still a way to go, but we are seeing progress quicker in this sector.

What’s the business case for gender diversity within certain areas of ERM?

Lucy: I feel that renewables represent a new era of ERM, one that is more open to equality and modernism. This sector is all about innovation and looking to the future where our daughters will not know the boundaries that our mothers did. In order for there to be true equality, women need to enter fields currently dominated by men. Even though more women are entering the ERM industry, they are traditionally doing it in HR, administration, accounting, or counselor roles. By encouraging non-traditional paths we will, in turn, see the equality scales even out.

What are, in your opinion, the main challenges women face to enter the industry?

Lucy: Credibility. Even though you do not see many women at senior levels within the industry, you see even fewer as roughnecks on an oil rig or as merchant seamen. This represents a challenge in articulating that you know their business without having walked a day in their shoes. Knowledge is key in these situations, proving that you have invested the time to understand their concerns, and providing effective solutions to their issues.

What can companies do to attract and retain women throughout their career?

Danièle: Offer policies to help support children and families. In order to advance in leadership in the ERM field, many companies require international experience. Companies who can make those international opportunities easier for women and families to achieve will ensure women can gain the experience they need to move forward within an organization.

Safety and security is always a concern in ERM travel, especially as many key markets or exploration hubs are located in volatile areas. What can companies do to address specific concerns for female travelers?

Danièle: Companies need to work with their risk management departments to ensure travel policies have sections built in specific to women’s safety. They can work with organizations such as GBTA to gain case studies and references from other companies who have done this. Also, many companies in the ERM space will work with third party safety and security companies who can help make recommendations to policy. The most important aspect is to think of women as a subsection of the traveling population and ensure the current travel policy addresses the security needs for all travelers – women included.

What would be your advice for women seeking careers in ERM?

Lucy: If this is a space you are interested in, hard work, networking, and knowledge are key. Learn about the roles that interest you, obtain the credentials you need to be taken seriously, and request to be taken on as an intern to gain experience.

Find out more about diversity and inclusion in CWT’s Annual ESG Report

Image credits: CWT & Adobe Stock

Simon worked as global program director in the Energy, Resources and Marine sector at CWT. Experiencing life as a miner has always been one of his goals. When the opportunity came to explore a copper mine owned by a CWT client in the Australian Outback, Simon was more than ready to go. Below is his first-hand account.

My journey deep inside a mine began in my home base of Perth. The destination: Mount Isa, the deepest mine in Australia, 5,187 kilometers (3,223 miles) away. The trip involved a four-hour hop across the continent to Brisbane, an overnight stay, followed by a two-and-a-half hour flight deep into Queensland, Australia’s great north west.

Gearing up

Upon arriving in Mount Isa, we headed to the mine office for a pre-safety check, sign-in process, and to get suited up in full mining gear. Our kit—all 10 kilograms (22 lbs.) of it—included a bright red jumpsuit, respirator, helmet with headlight, emergency oxygen supply, and a communication unit with a GPS tracker.

After going through a final safety check and confirming we understood the unique signals we can make with our headlamps to communicate from a distance underground, we were set. A rush of excitement filled me as I had never experienced anything like this before.

Into the mine

Inside Mount Isa Mines’ underground copper mine are 950 km (590 miles) of mining tunnels. Instead of taking the shaft, our hosts drove us in two utes (car-trucks popular in Australia) down the mine’s winding decline road so we could explore the plethora of tunnels. The utes were customized with a three-seater bench in the ute’s tray, complete with safety seat belts. There was room for only one passenger in the air-conditioned cab. I opted to go al fresco on the way in to get a true experience.

We drove for 10 minutes down a completed open-pit zinc mine to the portal entrance of the underground mine, then descended 300 meters (984 ft.) into the shadows.

At the tunnel entrance, the adrenaline went up another notch. Within seconds, we were engulfed in darkness, except for the orange glow of the flashing ute light that illuminated the tunnel walls as we drove through.

A truly unique sensory experience

Almost immediately, my senses began to go into overdrive. It was like being on a slow moving roller coaster with a persistent strobe light flashing from behind.

Then there was the sound. Every few minutes, the low rumble of huge fans in the distance grew louder as we drove nearer, which would build to a roar as we drove past. At 1,000 meters (3,280 ft.) below the surface, we stopped at one of five ‘crib rooms’ (air conditioned breakout room complete with fridge, microwave, toilets, etc.) used by miners on breaks. We explored a service area for equipment and trucks that was bathed in floodlights, while overhead, small blasts could be heard–the boom, boom, boom rumbling through my chest.

One mile below

The temperature rose the deeper underground we went. Soon, we hit a milestone. Literally. We were one mile (1.6 km) underground. This was the deepest we were going to go, although the tunnel continues for another 300 meters (984 ft.) beneath us.

After the obligatory photo op, we drove to a vast open area, 30 meters high (100 ft.), where they crushed freshly blasted rocks to be taken up to the surface. The heat from the machinery easily brought the temperature up to 40 C (104 F), which huge fan blasted fresh air into the area. The miners working the machines were covered in sweat and guzzled water down by the liter. The final stop was to the rock face itself, almost like a small siding, with a giant drilling machine that looked like it was from a sci-fi movie. This, I thought, was what mining is all about. Digging rocks out of the ground.

Into the sunshine

We then started our 40-minute drive back out of the mountain, only this time, I had the pleasure of experiencing it in the air-conditioned cab, facing forwards! When we finally got to the tunnel entrance and was hit by sunshine, there was a real sense of accomplishment as well as exhaustion.

The four hours we spent underground was an experience I will never forget. I came out of Mount Isa with a renewed appreciation for the people who work in the very many roles across the mining operation, how hard they work, and the important work that they do.. It has deepened my understanding of the role we play in the success of the Mount Isa Mines business, and depended my commitment to easing the journey for these hardworking Australians in any way we can.

Carlos specializes in crew rotations for our oil and gas clients. Outside of work, he likes to keep active with a lot of walking, cycling, and “goofing around” with his teenager. Carlos loves exploring Dutch Harbor on foot and told us, “The views never disappoint.” 

Join us behind the scenes to learn how Carlos delivers the perfect trip for crew members.

There’s no such thing as an average day

I support many of our oil and gas clients with their crew rotation and corporate travel needs.

Our top priority is to deliver a perfect trip. I make sure I take the time to counsel the people I support and give advice in these very specific areas of travel. Booking reservations is just the high-level definition of what we do on a daily basis. I take the time to advise and give recommendations. I listen to the needs of our customers, provide consistency in service delivery, and build a rapport to become a trusted advisor.

My most significant day at work was the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010. The call came in at 2am, and we worked around the clock to support in any way we could.

How to deliver the best traveler experience

Delighting the traveler is a priority. When booking travel, I put myself in the travelers’ shoes, and provide the kind of service that I would want. I pay close attention to the smallest details to create the best experience. I make it a priority always to be friendly and welcoming. Providing a great customer experience from the beginning lets our clients know that we have their best interests in mind and that they can trust us.

The power of CWT

CWT supports me to do the best job I can by encouraging us all to share recommendations on process improvements. This is key to our success. CWT is always investing in upgrading our desktop solutions, so we’re as accurate and efficient as possible in our jobs. For instance, our email management tool allows the agents, clients and managers to get insight into how much work it takes to complete a rotation of any kind and helps streamline operations and processes.

Knowing the market

Booking and ticketing is not all we do. We establish and organize intricate crew rosters, locate missing travelers, and provide detailed reporting.

The logistics behind crew operations are complex, so it is important to understand oil and gas crew operations. Itineraries for this area are complex and vast because there are people traveling from all over the world that have to meet at one point. Those points are constantly changing. You have to be highly detail-oriented and organized to manage them properly.

Image credits: CWT & Adobe Stock

How ERM mobility simplifies travel logistics for workforce rotations

Our new workforce mobility service solves the problem of disconnected platforms and lack of visibility of the full workforce rotation by integrating commercial and remote site workflows into one consolidated process. We are empowering companies that manage complex workforce rotations to save money, reduce process times, and improve the experience for travel managers and traveling employees alike.

We spoke to Beverly McCabe, CEO of leading technology company, Innfinity, and CWT partner, about how we have worked together to deliver the future of seamless travel management.

Read on to find out.

CWT ERM: What can companies achieve with ERM’s mobility service?

Beverly McCabe: ERM mobility helps companies manage the many moving parts that comprise a crew movement more seamlessly. Ensuring all bookings are in sync enables companies managing crew movements to save considerably by improving their use of chartered transport, and purchasing more shrewdly when it comes to the commercial pieces.

How does ERM mobility help solve the pain points facing organizations that manage corporate and remote site travel?

BMC: I think communication is perhaps the greatest challenge these organizations face. When we were in the depths of getting our ERM product off the ground, we sat with staff at the offices of a few ERM companies that helped us to develop the product early on. We realized what a run-around it can be to get everyone who’s part of booking crew movements to be in-sync.

We first had to speak to the department managing the workforce housing (camps, lodges). Then we had to speak to travel coordinators managing charter flight schedules. And finally we had to work with the TMCs to understand the commercial piece, often complex in its own right. The greatest challenge ERM companies face comes from the siloed nature of organizations and the lack of communication between functions.

What we have built creates a single source of truth. It provides a bridge for different departments to come together and book these complex crew movements more efficiently.

What are the benefits of closing the gap between commercial and remote site trips?

BMC: I think the fact that all bookings are housed in one system makes all the difference. When bookings are in sync, it’s simple for travel coordinators, travel managers and other involved parties to look at the same booking from the same tool and identify where the gaps and overlaps of crew traveler movements are. When there’s one system, the responsible parties can jump in to create, modify or cancel bookings as necessary.

How does ERM mobility improve the experience for logistics managers, travel managers and traveling employees?

BMC: For logistics managers and travel managers, it puts them all on the same page, which greatly reduces the stress of worrying about whether there are gaps in a crew traveler itinerary. For travelers, it ensures bookings are complete and contained within a single itinerary, making their journey to and from site that much smoother.

What sets ERM’s mobility offering apart from other platforms on the market?

BMC: A lot of other offerings provide a fragmented booking experience, mirroring the historical way that crew movements have been booked for decades. They fail to re-think the way rotating workforce management can be done, as they don’t bring all bookings together into a single source.

What does implementation look like?

BMC: Implementation is concise but does require customization. Most companies have a unique way of operating their crew movements, typically with unique travel requirements, so we conduct a brief analysis to better understand all the different components of a crew traveler’s journey before the system is set up. Once set up, we also make sure to provide in-depth training for travel managers and travel coordinators to ensure all parties are comfortable with the way the system manages these various booking types.

What kinds of success have you seen?

BMC: Companies using ERM mobility have uncovered savings resulting from the decrease in “no shows” for their crew bookings. This is one of the most exciting aspects of bringing together all parts of crew movement booking. When companies more efficiently fill the seats on their charters and manage their commercial bookings more tightly, they save a lot by maximizing the usage of their resources.

What are you most excited about the launch of CWT ERM’s mobility service?

BMC: CWT ERM offers years of experience managing these types of bookings and is a leader in the space. I think it’s fantastic that CWT ERM is actively bringing together all these moving pieces for companies booking crew travel. They’re helping companies move to the next level in crew movement management.

Image credits: CWT & Adobe Stock