AFBE-UK Scotland chair Dr Ollie Folayan has been appointed to the new body set up to champion diversity and inclusion in the oil and gas industry.

Established by OGUK and launched at this year’s Offshore Europe, the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Task Group is chaired by Craig Shanaghey, President, Operations Services, Europe & Africa at Wood.

The D&I Task Group is set to convene regularly with the aim of reinforcing the business case for greater diversity and inclusion in the oil and gas industry, establishing a benchmark for diversity and inclusion and improving the image of the sector as a career destination which embraces a culture of diversity and inclusion.

Aberdeen-based social enterprise AFBE-UK Scotland encourages all young people, particularly those of black and minority ethnic (BME) origin, to consider a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).

Craig Shanaghey, chair of the D&I Task Group, said:
“I’m delighted that Ollie has agreed to join OGUK’s Task Group. Through his background as chair of AFBE-UK Scotland, Ollie has an established track record of supporting diversity and inclusion within the industry and his insight will be invaluable. 

“Fostering a diverse and inclusive working culture is vital to ensuring a competitive energy industry that supports the UK’s transition to a net zero economy. I look forward to sharing more over the coming months as our Task Group seeks to drive positive change.”

Dr Ollie Folayan said:
“I’m incredibly proud to have been appointed as a member. We are at a time of great change for the energy sector and the task group represents an increasing industry-wide focus on fostering diversity and inclusion.”

The first meeting of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Task Group is due to take place on Monday, October 7.

Dr Folayan will be speaking at the Diversity in Energy Summit & Exhibition 2019 in London on Tuesday, October 8. The event aims to bring together industry leaders to tackle the topics of diversity, inclusion and empowerment in the global energy sector.

AFBE-UK Scotland was established in 2011 as the Scottish arm of AFBE-UK. It has engaged with thousands of young people at its events across Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

The organisation has three engagement programmes: its schools programme, NextGen, in which industry professionals give up their time to highlight engineering as a career choice to pupils; Real Projects, which invites industry professionals to speak on their area of expertise, and Transition, which gives students and recent graduates practical career advice through talks, CV reviews and mock interviews. 

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