Grace Curtis-Holsgrove has strong experience from the oil and gas industry. Previously she lived in Amsterdam and worked for a multinational oil company where she gained experience in flow assurance engineering, safety assurance as well as offshore know-how with a broader view of the oil and gas industry. Grace has a Master’s Degree in Physical Chemistry.

Hello, Grace, and welcome to Citec! Tell us why you decided to apply to Citec Sweden, please.

Thank you! After having worked for quite some time in the oil and gas industry, I wanted to do something new and also contribute more to sustainability. Together with my partner we decided to relocate from the Netherlands to Sweden in the spring 2021. We sold everything, bought a camper and drove to Sweden in search for a new place to live and work. We ended up in Karlstad, liked the area and decided to stay. I came across Citec through ‘Ny i Värmland’, and it attracted me because it’s a quite small Europe-based company, so I applied for a job and here I am.

How has your first month been?

It has definitely been different from what I have been used to. There is a lot of authenticity in the management, as well as flexibility in the organisation because it is flat. Internal decisions are made quickly with little delay, and everyone pitches in. I have enjoyed my first month very much; every day at 9:30 we have a coffee break together at the office, so I have learnt that fika is the most important moment of the day, and it’s a great opportunity to catch up with everyone!

I am studying new processes that come along from new industries for me, like paper and pulp. So far I have been or will be involved in projects within paper and pulp, carbon capture and storage, oils and gas, and LNG. I find it interesting because the project portfolio is much broader than oil and gas. I am also involved in calculations, simulations, and assurance of processes, making my days varied – something I enjoy.

I have done a lot of internal and external networking to get to know my colleagues and to present myself, not just in Sweden but between Citec countries, as there is a lot of real collaboration between them. Many companies aim to achieve, but I feel Citec can be really successful. It feels great to collaborate across borders, and it’s also a good opportunity to use my expertise, and develop my skills.

What is important for you in a work community and what makes Citec stand out?

I appreciate open and authentic communication from top to bottom, and side to side. We have that at Citec with timely and clear communication which also makes the atmosphere good. Even though everyone is busy, no one is stressed out or struggling with workload. The management are open to help resolve situations where workload becomes difficult to manage, or more flexibility is needed.

I value varied opportunities because the more opportunities you have, the more you learn and can develop. I feel that at Citec you are pushed to try your limits as we are challenged with different scopes all the time.

Your colleagues back you up, encourage you to try, and are supportive if you make a mistake.

You are offered a steep learning curve if you feel up to it. I just started a role as HSE manager for the Hafslund Oslo Celcio CCS project; it offers me a chance to develop further from technical safety into HSE, and I am really looking forward to any challenges I might come across.

 

It’s great to have you onboard Grace!

 

Interested to read more career stories? You can meet other Citecians here.