Joan Njeri Njoroge, Managing Director of Engen Mauritius is a leading light.

Recently named the Most Influential Woman in the Chemical, Pharmaceutical & Petrochemicals sector at the CEO Global sponsored ‘Most Influential Women in Business & Government and Titans of Africa Awards’, Joan is top of the global arc of women in the Oil and Gas industry.
This is not the first time Joan has received such an accolade having been awarded Leader of the Year at the 2013 Engen International Business Awards and the Outstanding Women Leadership Award at the African Leadership Awards in 2014 and 2015.

With only 11% global boardroom representation in the Oil & Gas sector, Joan represents the future for women determined to rise beyond the historic narratives of gender as a determinant for success. Her example coaxes the biases out of the equation as Joan herself observes how women can actively determine their success.

“I believe that there are many opportunities for women to climb up the corporate ladder but because of the narrative on women’s role in society and a great fear of making mistakes, women normally hesitate to put themselves forward even when they are best suited for a role.”
The merits of this argument are indisputable, but equally so, a supportive corporate environment and encouraging peers cannot be underestimated.

Says Joan: “In my formative years at Engen, I had the privilege of working with great leaders who saw my potential and greatly influenced my direction. When somebody believes in you, you do everything in your power not to let them down. These leaders played more of a mentorship role than that of a manager.”

Joan attributes her accomplishments to her curiosity and sense of adventure which are reinforced by academic achievements as well as an ability to build great teams.

Says Joan: “I am someone who is not afraid of change and therefore normally open to opportunities that present themselves. I am a firm believer in trying out new things and if it doesn’t work out at least I know I tried. This is a philosophy I apply to both in my professional life as well as my personal life.”

Oil and gas companies by their nature have to adapt to change and anticipate challenges. Leaders in this space should equally be capable of heralding change and innovation. This is perhaps why Joan is also so well suited to the environment.
“What I enjoy most about my current role is how dynamic it is. You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow. You make plans and then Oil prices crash or currency fluctuates, or the competition does something that requires immediate reaction and you have to quickly come up with a new plan.”

Joan continues: “At Engen we know that we have to keep innovating if we are to remain relevant. It is exciting having to think outside the box all the time. I also love that I have the ability to impact young people’s lives. I always encourage my young colleagues to aspire to be more and to keep learning. I am a product of a company, Engen that invested in my development and I try to do the same for those who I see potential in.”
The inspiration and influence that Joan represents will be realised in the lives she touches through her example. Through her ascendancy, Joan’s position as MD and her encouragement of others, a template of possibility is created. It serves as a prototype to other young women who may have averted a career in the Oil & Gas Industry and steered clear of notions of leadership prior to Joan’s example.

Joan explains: “Like many young girls my dream was to be an air-hostess so that I could travel the world! It had never occurred to me that I could become the managing director of a company, working in a variety of countries. My aspirations were limited to the examples that were available to me at the time. Growing up I didn’t know of women in senior executive roles. I therefore didn’t aspire to such a position as I didn’t realise that it was even a possibility.”

With global competition for talent and skills as fierce as ever, good leaders are in particular demand. Fighting to find and secure the best young employees means that globally businesses cannot afford to cut out 50% of the talent pool. In emerging markets, critical skills are highly valued by CEOs who require a bigger pool of qualified, experienced employees from which to draw future leaders.

“I take my responsibility as a role model very seriously as I want many young girls to understand that they can be whatever they aspire to be and that they should never limit themselves to anything below their full potential.

“I and other women in similar roles represent possibility for them. The old narrative is slowly being chipped away at and the more role models we have for our young girls the faster the right balance in gender equity will be reached.”

Asked about her proudest career achievement thus far, Joan remarks about the cohesion she has brought to the team at Engen Mauritius.
“Following Engen’s purchase of the business in Mauritius a few years back there were a few challenges amalgamating the respective company cultures. This was overcome to such an extent that within a year we were named Engen’s Affiliate of the Year.”