The Internet Interview is a regular focus on WA people working outside the State, telling us about their career overseas or interstate in their own words. This week is Christian Lange, Director of Investor Relations for Schlumberger, New York, USA.
A brief explanation of your company and where it sits in the corporate landscape: Schlumberger Limited is a global technology services company consisting of two business segments. Schlumberger Oilfield Services, the largest oilfield services company in the world and SchlumbergerSema a major information technology services company providing consulting, systems integration, IT infrastructure management and managed services to the energy and utilities, telecommunications, finance, transport and public sector markets. In 2002, Schlumberger revenue was $13.5 billion.
Job last held in Perth: 1990 – Dowell Schlumberger (Australia) Ltd, field engineer
What is your current role: Director of investor relations, based in New York. Responsible for Schlumberger’s global investor relations program.
What other roles do you play in your industry or local business community: Have just joined the Young Australian Professionals in America (YAPA) association as a mentor to other young Aussies embarking on expatriate life in New
York, additionally I’ve just been invited
to talk at Columbia University in New York to masters students on the topic
of ‘corporate social responsibility,
managing diversity and global business management’.
Explain how you got this particular job: Following completion of my MBA at Curtin Graduate School of Business in 2000, I was asked to come to NY to take on this role. The job required a person with operational management experience (prior roles in Venezuela as general manager and Dubai as marketing manager for Middle East/North Africa Region) and some background/experience in finance/economics. In short, the MBA coupled with my management background prepared me for the role. At least to some extent, I’m not sure that you can prepare to work within the ‘Wall Street’ environment, it’s very unique.
Outline your office culture: Open office plan, however as it is the corporate HQ, it tends to lack that joie de vivre.
How much commuting do you do: About 20-25 minutes in the subway or 30 minutes by car or 40 minutes walk through Central Park.
Does your job involve travel, if so how much, where to and to what purpose: I spend around 150 days travelling, mostly to Europe and other states within the US with a once yearly trip to Japan and Australia. These trips are mostly to visit investors with the odd business trip to a Schlumberger operating or research location.
How well did your work in Perth equip you for your current job: Good question. Being an Australian in general, I think I get away with some things in the US and other parts of the world that I ordinarily may not. Specifically, we get some latitude for being (in the words of the US immigration office) aliens. Seriously though, I think they appreciate our forthrightness and the ‘work hard, live life’ attitude that most Australians have.
Can you see yourself returning to Perth, if so how long and under what circumstances: My family and I would love to return to Perth, especially in order to educate my three daughters. We believe very strongly in the value of the Australian education system and the lifestyle advantages of living in Perth. Just need the right job offer. One of the limitations I believe is that Australians tend to earn far less in real terms than their UK or US counterparts, this is one of the reasons for the so called ‘brain drain’ in Australia. It’s a significant drawback, but not an insurmountable one.
What is your email address: lange@new-york.sl.slb.com
