Dr Ollie Folayan, chairman of Aberdeen-based AFBE-UK Scotland

The shortlist for an awards ceremony that celebrates diversity and inclusion in the engineering and energy sectors has been announced.

The 2018 AFBE-UK Scotland Awards take place in Aberdeen at the Double Tree by Hilton Treetops Hotel on Wednesday, November 21 (2018). Oil & Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie is the guest speaker, and the theme is The Energy Future of the UK.

AFBE-UK Scotland is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages careers in science, technology, engineering and maths for under-represented groups - with a strong focus on the oil and gas industry.

There are three categories at these inaugural awards: Company of The Year, sponsored by Oil & Gas UK; Outstanding Mentor Award, sponsored by the Energy Institute; and BME Young Professional of the Year, sponsored by SPE Aberdeen.  

The finalists:

Company of the Year

• Baker Hughes, a GE company
• Norwell Edge
• Shell UK

Outstanding Mentor Award

• Tayo Olusanya, principal technical safety engineer, Melios
• Claire Hayward, senior well delivery leader, BP
• Dr Azzam Younes, principal safety consultant, ABB

Young BME Professional Award

• Mopelola Oyetunji, corrosion engineer, CAN Offshore
• Lina Lusadisu, production technologist, Shell UK
• Samuel Elegbede, telecommunications engineer, WSP

The judges for the awards were Mopelola Lamond, a project manager with BP; Denis Pinto a flow measurement and hydrocarbon allocation consultant who has been working in the oil and gas industry for 30 years; Ian Phillips, OGIC chief executive and chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section; Dr Alix Thom, skills and employment issues manager at Oil & Gas UK and Ugo Uzu, an operations manager at Schlumberger.

Dr Ollie Folayan, chairman of AFBE-UK Scotland, said: 
“We were delighted with the standard of award entries and I know the judges had a number of difficult decisions to make to get it down to three in each category. 

“We’ve had tremendous industry support and I’d to thank all our sponsors. We’re hoping this is just the start for the AFBE-UK Scotland Awards and that they can go from strength to strength.”

The awards are also supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Shell UK, Schlumberger and BP.

Dr Folayan was part of an AFBE-UK group that recently met Nero Ughwujabo, special advisor to the Prime Minister Theresa May, to showcase the work the social enterprise does to highlight opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

AFBE-UK Scotland is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages young people, particularly those of black and minority ethic (BME) origin, to consider a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. It has supported more than 1,000 people – from youngsters to industry professionals – through a series of Aberdeen events that have included senior managers engaging with primary pupils, to talks by oil and gas industry leaders.

A limited number of tickets are still available for the AFBE-UK Scotland Awards and Gala Dinner, please visit: http://www.afbescotland.org/events/