Positivity, partnership and people are the three main elements of a successful logistics business as it enters a new diverse energy market – that is according to Sarah Moore, the new CEO of Peterson Energy Logistics.
Passion for the industry and her new role – which she took over from outgoing CEO Erwin Kooij – is something Sarah has in abundance. When she was appointed as CEO at Peterson Energy Logistics (part of family-owned The Royal Peterson and Control Union), she said she was “humbled and very proud to be that custodian at a time when energy is going through this massive transition”.
Fortunately for the firm’s former Executive Director, when she arrived in her new post she was already familiar with its challenges – oil prices, Brexit, the pandemic – and its successes. Indeed Peterson had just recorded its safest year on record (2021) and the financial performance for the business was very strong. Sarah admits that although she has a plan, she is “using that momentum and building on an incredibly strong foundation”, backed by her strong and engaged leadership team.
She said: “We are ready to jump forward and tackle the big challenges coming towards our industry by leading, not by following – in the same way we led the energy logistics digital revolution 10 years ago by development of what is now known as our Lighthouse suite.
“We have already made significant steps in our journey to carve out a leading role for logistics in this new diverse energy market.
“This is a continued journey of evolution – it’s not a revolution – that is about our people (our engaged workforce is our biggest asset); it’s about partnering with our customers and driving forward optimisation and transformation.”
Peterson has certainly evolved – and in many cases become the industry leader –as it embraces the ongoing changes in the energy sector and reinvents itself from being ‘just’ a service provider.
Sarah said: “For me in our business, it is about action. It’s about understanding the energy transition and new energy mix market that is coming. We overcome challenges by understanding where we fit, by ensuring our culture is strong, that we are an attractive employer, that we offer fair and equal opportunities for all and that we are clear in our vision and on where we will deliver with our customers.”
Here are some of the areas Sarah will be nurturing and building on as CEO in 2022:
Partners – not providers
People wrongly assume that Peterson is only a service provider, but it is so much more than this, explained Sarah: “Our greatest successes have come when we have worked most closely with our customers and the supply chain, to come together to say ‘what is the problem we are trying to solve?’.
“It is vitally important that the partnership is authentic and evident, and that comes from a great deal of trust – our tagline is Trust Well Placed and it is there for a reason. We want to unburden our customers from the pain of having to deal with energy logistics.
“We can do so much more when we are open and honest with each other about the challenges we face and being able to solve that must only come from strategic partnerships.”
Carbon Neutral promise
As the energy industry evolves to a net-zero focused era, Peterson is already committed to becoming carbon neutral by the end of the year [2022]. It’s an ambitious plan which will complement its ‘net zero by 2025’ goal.
Sarah said: “We are driving forward our programme of change. We have taken the bold step to be first movers in that space. Our sustainability journey is in action and I am thrilled. It’s not going to happen overnight and as an industry we can be guilty of talking about it as a ‘light switch’ moment. We need to recognise that it is a journey that the supply chain companies and the operators go on together.”
Nurturing young talent (PATTS)
Nurturing young talent has always been a Peterson priority, which is evident through its long-established Peterson Academy Traineeship, or PATTS programme. The traineeship is a two-year development programme for graduates.
Sarah said: “PATTS brings people in from many different backgrounds. We put them through a programme and nurture talent to create management teams of the future.
“Our business is entrepreneurial and it puts a lot of accountability into the hands of the people driving it forward. An engaged workforce is very important to us.”
Future plans
Peterson started as a small family-run business in the Netherlands 102 years ago and has become a global organisation. Today, it is still owned by the Peterson family and is now known as The Royal Peterson and Control Union after being awarded Royal designation in 2020, where it now operates over 70 different countries.
The Energy Logistics division is established in in key locations globally including Trinidad & Tobago, Qatar, Guyana, Netherlands, Australia and the UK and it employs 870 people.
Now, after working her way up through the ranks with her positive outlook on life and determination to succeed, the CEO is thrilled to be in her new lead role in an industry she is passionate about.
She said: “As long as there are people on offshore installations, even the unmanned installations requiring cargo, we will support them in the safest possible way. Our responsibility is to ensure that our customers cargo and fuels reach their destinations with zero incidents and in the most efficient way possible.
“We will continue to listen to our existing customers, but also transition to the renewables and other clean energy sectors, who look to organisations like us to step in help them transform – whether that is through new procurement principles or through technology.”
DID YOU KNOW….?
· Peterson is part of The Royal Peterson and Control Union, , which operates in the fields of certification, industrial inspection and testing.
· The Control Union arm of the business is active in the textile industry – on of its certification schemes determine what passes as ‘organic’ worldwide. Some of its biggest customers are H&M, Unilever and Pepsi Co.
· Peterson Energy Logistics also owns LS Customs which provides consultancy support on customs.
· It has invested in two technology companies: Glasgow-based Streamba which is transforming the supply chain digitally, and Core 29, a business improvement consultancy.
· Peterson, which is internationally focused, also owns a specialist procurement business – 80:20 Procurement – who support clients in Europe and the US
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