Paper: Map to Tomorrows Management

A survey of 328 executives in the top echelon in petroleum companies, including personal interviews with 82 of them, provides a definite picture of what makes a petroleum manager. The case study shows educational background, environment, operational route of advancement, motivation, etc. This is the only study of the kind ever made of petroleum industry leaders. The survey reveals a fairly even pattern for present managers but the interviews pointed to the changing needs of modern companies for professional executives. The steps up the ladder are broader and steeper and demand more preparation and more dedication. Our objective is to show clearly the preparation and attributes and effort needed to become a manager in the petroleum industry. An understanding of the responsibilities and rewards permits an engineering student to make an early choice either to seek management levels or to devote his energies and purpose to a technological career.