Job Title: CEO of Paradigm Group which incorporates Paradigm Drilling. He has over 30 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry, and has held a number of high-profile roles at companies including Offshore Tool & Energy and Petroline Wellsystems, where he has worked to improve the running of each business
Name: Fraser Innes
Age: 53
What did you want to be when you were young? Probably a whole range of things from Formula One racing driver to astronaut. I may not have quite met the heights I was aiming for.
And are you still interested in them at all? Yes, but that’s as far as it’s got. Although having said that, I’ve got a friend who has some Formula One cars but I never got the bottle to drive one.
So when did you know that oil and gas would be your career path? Well it was kind of in my family. It was really a lack of knowing what I wanted to do that led me down that road. When I turned 18, I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I got a job offshore as a roustabout to fill in time until I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. And that got me hooked.
How have things changed for people trying to get into the industry now? There’s a lot more competition to get a job now, and I think it takes a lot more pro-activity for young people. Now young people are putting themselves through, relatively speaking, expensive courses themselves to prove they are worth hiring.
What are the main factors which got you where you are today? Apart from blind luck you mean? (Laughs). I spent 10 years in technical roles and that was the foundation, so when I got my first job onshore it was in a sales role, but I got that because of my technical background. And really for me, a large part of it was hard work and a little bit was inspiration, and a little bit was luck.
And so what about your personal traits? That’s a very good question, I’ve never really thought about it that way. I suppose hard work is one of the biggest things and the second is, I like what I do. I like working with people at all different kinds of levels. And I like to fix things. If there’s a problem, I like to fix it.
Best achievement so far? The first big thing was when we sold Petroline to Weatherford in 1999. That set a new bar for small companies in Aberdeen. We made more than 20 times earnings and that was a first in our sector. That was definitely a bit of a milestone.
And what about mistakes? I’m a little bit of a fatalist so I think, to a large extent, things happen for a reason. We all make mistakes and ultimately things will come good.
What has motivated you through the years? To be honest, like a lot of young people, I wanted to have a Ferrari and other material things, but as you get older you move past that.It’s now about building something up, creating something, and the satisfaction you get from that. And also, as you get older – I have grandchildren now – so I’m providing for their future. I’ve done the Ferrari thing and now it’s a different playing field.
And lastly, any pet hates? BBC Breakfast television. It drives me insane, the absolute rubbish that they talk every morning.
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