Speakers for Schools Summer Programme

Joshua Wakefield, 20 years of age from South London, Bexley. Originally started at bp on a 6 week summer internship with Career Ready, and now works at bp as a trading operator in Sustainability. Joshua is extremely determined and will demonstrate how aiming high has got him to where he is today at bp.

Kavaljeet Singh Bhamra has been working at bp for the past 23 years. As well as his day job as a Service Continuity lead he is also Co-Chair to bp’s Positively Ethnic Network (PEN), a business resource group whose goal is to help bp become the number 1 employer in the UK for race and equality. In addition to talking about his career, Kavaljeet will illustrate the importance of listening to a broad range of views on diversity, to help bp achieve its aims.”

Paulo Gomes is a Technical Specialist for Wells and Production Technology at bp and has been with the company for eight years. Paulo develops and supports the deployment of tools that analyse data and optimise drilling and production operations. Paulo holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Fluid Dynamics and is also a lecturer in Petroleum Engineering. He has co‑authored twenty technical papers in journals and conferences and is co‑inventor of seven patents. Paulo is a member of IChemE and an Ambassador’s Network Council Member for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Paulo will talk about how critical problem solving is in his field of work.

Lonpe is a first year graduate on the downstream challenger programme at bp and is currently in a finance and performance role, having studied International Business, Finance and Economics at Manchester University. Her first year at bp has been quite an experience, therefore she’s had to work hard at staying positive – something she believes is one of the most important tools is life. Lonpe will share some of the challenges she has experienced early on in life, and how these have shaped her attitude and prepared her for the world of work.

Details TBC check vtalks site for updates

Imran has been with bp for 23 years and throughout his career has held various positions within IST’s finance and risk organization including head of business integration for international gas, regional head of commodity risk (eastern hemisphere), regional head of PPM and as the executive assistant for the IST chief financial officer. Imran is also the UK Chair of bp’s positively ethnic network (PEN) business resource group and chairman for the IST Finance and Risks HR Forum. Prior to his career in bp, Imran qualified as a Chartered accountant, post a Master’s in Finance and Economics and a BA in Accounting and Financial Management. As Global Controller, Imran will share his experiences of leading a global team across different time zones and cultures.

Before taking on her current role, Carol ran bp Shipping and was the chief operating officer for IST oil. She has more than 20 years in the energy industry, many in supply and trading. Previous roles, include chief operating officer for natural gas liquids, regional leader of global oil Europe and finance. Carol also served as the head of the group chief executive’s office. Carol will talk about her experiences in the energy industry and share examples of creativity and innovation during a time of transition in bp and the energy industry.

Kerry leads people and culture at bp. As a key enabler of business delivery, people and culture aims to create an inclusive culture and collaborative and agile workplace which enables emotionally connected leaders and dynamic teams to work together to help bp achieve its purpose – reimagining energy for people and our planet. Kerry will talk about leadership in the context of the energy transition and reinventing bp.