James McCallum is chief executive of Senergy
What made you get into a career in oil and gas?
I chose the oil and gas industry after watching an animated Shell television commercial depicting a day in the life of the oil platform Brent Charlie, engulfed in the huge seas surrounding it. As I recall, the closing caption read: “24 hours a day, every day of the year, no matter what the weather, delivering energy to the people of Britain”. I thought that would be an appropriately adventurous and exciting thing to do for a 20-year-old starting out on the career trail.
What advice do you have for youngsters?
Try to appreciate the things you like to do and that you are good at. Begin evaluating the career opportunities that best enable you to use those skills. Most importantly, work on your ability to communicate effectively with people around you.
If you didn’t work in this sector, what would be your dream job?
Easy to answer – living the life of a successful classical actor.
What would be your dream car to drive?
Easy again – an Aston Martin DBR1. There were only five ever made and the last one to come to market sold for £25million. I think therefore this qualifies as a pipe dream.
If you were king for a day, what would you do?
This is a tough one. I applaud companies and individuals who use their skills and capabilities to make a significant difference to the lives of people considerably less fortunate in life. I would try to introduce something that enabled as many of my country’s citizens and companies to experience just how easy it is to make a lasting improvement to society.
What’s the scariest thing you have ever done?
Sitting by my very young son and daughter’s hospital beds, waiting for them to come round from major operations with hopefully no lasting effects. They both did.
Why is energy such an exciting sector to get in to?
Energy and the sustainable access to it remains the fundamental foundation by which economies, and therefore countries, function. The diversity of energy sources and the incredible technology required to harness the resource make it an industry with an almost infinite range of possible career choices. In my career, I have seen the world, mixed with races and governments from every continent and worked with and on some of the most advanced technology in the world.
Tell us a random, unexpected fact about you.
At the age of 26, I took time out from the energy industry to tour the UK in theatres and appear on television as World War I poet Wilfred Owen.
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