Meet Marie Querrien, General Manager in Abu Dhabi
Meet Marie Querrien, General Manager of Vallourec Tubular Services in Abu Dhabi
12/03/2020 – Careers
Since joining the Group fifteen years ago, Marie Querrien has continuously climbed the ladder to become, a few months ago, the General Manager of Vallourec Tubular Services in Abu Dhabi.
This Vallourec subsidiary is entirely dedicated to our partnership with ADNOC, as part of a mega contract worth $900 million, which we have just signed with the company covering the supply of OCTG tubes and related services. It will house the new yard (storage area), developed in collaboration with ADOS, currently under construction. A serious challenge lying ahead for Marie and her teams…
Hello Marie, can you tell us a bit about your career?
I have a master’s degree in international business from the University of Paris la Sorbonne. I started my career in the sales department at Maria Galland, a cosmetics brand, before joining Magneti Marelli, a subsidiary of Fiat.
I joined Vallourec in 2005 in the OCTG Sales Administration department. Early on, my colleagues, engineers and technicians, instilled in me the technical principles specific to the oil and gas sector which had been previously unknown to me. My manager at the time, thanks to her passion and positive disposition, also was a true source of motivation for me. I was first in charge of Sales Management of OCTG solutions in the India-Pakistan region, then Drills.
I was then assigned to the Middle East region where, for the first time, I collaborated remotely with ADNOC. This was my first experience with this client and with this region, which I really appreciated. Then, I became responsible for a team of 8 Sales Administrators for the OCTG sector.
In 2014, I wanted to discover new things and switch up my environment. This desire became reality with my mobility to Dubai where I was appointed head of Customer Service. Supported by a team of eleven people, I was in charge of, in addition to sales administration, calls for tenders, logistics, and interfacing with our factories for our clients based in the Middle East.
These fourteen years of experience serving our clients have allowed me to get to know our markets and our products and meet people who are passionate about their jobs. They really made me want to stay at Vallourec and discover even more.
For the past five months, you have been at the head of Vallourec Tubular Services. What does your job at this subsidiary entail?
Vallourec Tubular Services is the entity that manages the yard where we will manage our ADNOC product inventory.
My main job is to manage and coordinate the teams to optimize our performance and results.
I also collaborate with the QHSE manager to ensure optimal safety for the yard. In such a risky place, we must be flawless and safety audits are already planned. We are also working on ISO 9001 certification.
My goal is to have the most comprehensive vision of Vallourec Tubular Services in order to meet and even anticipate ADNOC’s needs.
What are the essential qualities for this job?
First of all, being organized and knowing how to prioritize, because everything is urgent at the same time. Then I would say having good communication skills and solid coordination because above all else, this is a team effort.
And then always keep in mind these key words: “Customer First“.
Have you noticed differences in management between Europe and the Middle East that surprised you?
In the United Arab Emirates, we have fifteen different nationalities, the majority of which come from India, Pakistan and the Philippines. We have a heavy workload and I am happy to be able to count on a committed team.
Many of the employees working in the United Arab Emirates are very invested in their work, which enables them to provide for their families. They are therefore very involved and keen to perform their duties.
Regarding my management style, the major difference with this new position is that I will have to rely more on my teams since I will be managing more than fifty employees.
Being a woman doesn't seem to have held you back in your career. What do you think were the keys to your success at Vallourec and in the Middle East?
It is true that this environment is very masculine and that few women hold positions of responsibility. You have to know how to be assertive, trust yourself and don't hesitate to put people in their place if they make inappropriate comments.
Personally for 15 years, Vallourec has always trusted me and offered me more and more responsibilities. All my managers, over the course of my career, have supported me and I am grateful to them for that.
But I believe that a real change in mentality is taking place, in particular thanks to the Women@Vallourec program. We also need to eliminate the idea that this type of career is only reserved for expatriate women.
What do you like most about your current job and at Vallourec overall?
In this project, everything needs to be built. We are going to write the first pages of this new adventure. I have been given a huge challenge and I’m very honored. As for Vallourec, I really like the family spirit felt among my colleagues. For the past fifteen years, I have been fortunate to forge strong ties with some of my colleagues. I have built my network with people who have since been transferred elsewhere in the Group: France, China, Singapore… but with whom I have always stayed in touch. This is also one of Vallourec’s strengths.
How do you see the growth of your career in the future?
The contract that we signed with ADNOC extends over a period of 5 years and it has only been a few months since I took up my new duties at Vallourec Tubular Services. Today, I am focusing on the short and medium term and the success of my entity. I want to make sure that we are the best at executing this project and that the Group will achieve its objectives.
Once this great challenge is met, I am sure that the future will bring me new opportunities to explore.
