Managing during a ‘significant’ downturn

Siobhan Galbraith, legal counsel at Schlumberger Canada Ltd., has seen the downside of the cyclical oil and gas patch.

Since she joined the legal profession in 2012, WTI spot oil prices have plummeted, costing the industry thousands of jobs.

“My biggest challenge to date has been managing a legal department in the oil and gas sector during a significant economic downturn in the industry,” said Galbraith, who joined Schlumberger, a global energy services company, in 2015.

She is responsible for managing legal issues that arise at the Canadian operation, a high achievement for someone so early in her career.

With 26 facilities, 16 different business lines and 2,500 employees in Canada, those legal issues are varied and complex.

Fortunately, she can draw on oil and gas expertise from more than 85 countries around the world. “Our teams are very diverse.”