For more than half my life (31 years to be exact), I’ve been an employee of SLB.

I first heard about the company as a mechanical engineering student at the Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Quito in the early '90s. Even then, I can remember being drawn to the idea of working somewhere that treated performance and values as inseparable. A place where how you achieved results mattered as much as the results themselves.

At 24 years old, I don’t think I fully understood what that meant. I would spend the next three decades finding out.

My first position at SLB was as a field engineer in Venezuela and Colombia. At the time, the working environment was complex, both from an operational and security standpoint. I learned very quickly that responsibility isn't a title; it's a daily decision.

As my career progressed, I took on a range of managerial roles across North and South America and learned another defining lesson: leadership isn’t about authority or control. It’s about empowering people, earning their trust, and making decisions in their best interest—even when those decisions don't benefit you personally.

One moment that stands out is when I chose to protect a customer and the long-term health of the business at the expense of my own bonus. It might have made little sense “on paper”, but in my mind and heart, it made all the sense in the world. It was a defining point in my career and deepened my conviction that integrity and courage always pay dividends, even when the ledger isn't immediately visible.

But the chapter I’m proudest of? It’s when I returned home to become Country Manager for SLB Ecuador.

Being the first Ecuadorian to lead the operation in more than 70 years was both an honor and a weight I took seriously. We had over 5,000 people, a successful business, and relationships that stretched from the oilfields to heads of state. The stakes were high, and the temptation to chase short-term wins was real.

We chose differently.

The 2012 Shushufindi contract (the first of three major long-term performance-based agreements we would secure) proved to me that technology—while important—is never a differentiator on its own. What creates a true lasting impact is building an ecosystem of trust through shared values and transparency.

Today, as Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Director, I see my role as helping SLB reach a cultural tipping point. One where mindset drives performance (just as founders Marcel and Conrad intended), and where our quest to make energy more sustainable and accessible for the benefit of all remains inseparable from our values.

Even after 31 years, I continue to be impressed by the technologies and services we provide to our customers and the broader energy industry. I’m still convinced, however, that our greatest competitive advantage is our people.

It has been for the last century, and it will be for all the centuries to come.