In her role as project integration manager at Houston-headquartered Phillips 66 (www.phillips66.com), Ashley Nelson is tasked with bringing together different business units with varying objectives, as well as different people, personalities, and experience levels.

 

“That’s my greatest challenge,” says Nelson, whose work brings together a multitude of people, with multiple skills, in a multitude of positions. She consistently draws upon and sharpens her networking and communication skills, citing those as necessary for success for all engineers. “Effective communication, strong self-motivation, and to positively influence peers are the skills I find most essential,” she says.

 

Discovering an early love of math and science, Nelson also recognized that she was at her best when challenged. “I wanted to push myself, to drive solutions and solve problems. That, together with my affinity for math and science - particularly chemistry - led me to chemical engineering,” she relates.

 

While at Texas Tech University, where she graduated with a degree in chemical engineering, Nelson chose a five-year program and gained ample professional experience by participating in co-ops and internships. “By the time I graduated I was exposed to different engineering sectors, job capacities, and companies,” she explains.

 

Looking back, Nelson recalls two co-ops/internships that provided her with essential career experience. “My first internship, with a small manufacturer of roof shingles, focused on traditional manufacturing engineering. The second was with a chemical company where I was exposed to traditional process engineering. As a result of these experiences I focused on a permanent job in the energy industry. Conoco Phillips stood out as the company that best combined my previous experiences. After hiring on in 2004, I was excited about being able to put all my schoolwork and past experiences to the test. The company offered a wide range of opportunities and a variety of business units where I could expand and develop new skill sets,” she explains.

 

For example, a design engineering position transitioned into a technical support role that required dealing with customers, troubleshooting, and optimizing pipeline systems. “That was my foray into strategy and business development, where I was called upon to develop strategy for the business unit to expand its customer base and enter a new market. This effort ultimately led to my current position in the fall of 2012,” she explains. During the time Nelson was expanding her skill set as a woman engineer, Phillips 66 was launched, spinning off from Conoco Phillips.

 

Nelson’s position involves leading projects and supporting strategies and business development. She played a key role in Phillip 66’s more than $3 billion investment in two projects in Southeast Texas as part of the company’s Midstream growth program.

 

Nelson enjoys learning something new each day and collaborating with a great team of professionals to tackle the unique challenges facing today’s energy industry. “Having a visible impact on my company’s bottom line is important as well, and I’m grateful for being exposed to so many aspects of the engineering and business world,” she says.

 

She’s also happy with her choice of the energy sector as a field that offers tremendous opportunity. “The world will always need people to solve problems and drive solutions. The demand is as constant as the need for energy,” Nelson remarks.

 

As to her career at Phillips 66 - a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company with an integrated portfolio - she cites the scope, available opportunities, and culture of this 14,000-employee organization.

 

“The quality of employees and the culture, as well as the corporate location in my hometown of Houston, makes Phillips 66 a great place to work,” she states, mentioning that the company is always on the lookout for the best and brightest talent.

 

Nelson adds to her job by participating in the company’s Women’s Network, recruiting engineering majors at her alma mater, and volunteering in the community through the Junior Achievement program.