Meeting the world’s growing energy needs while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change is challenging. Innovative minds with diverse perspectives are the key to meet the world’s pressing energy challenges. One such leader, who is shaping the future of the energy industry, is Jaime Butler, the Global Operations Leader at Nexus Controls, a Baker Hughes business.
Jaime began her career in 2001 at Baker Hughes while pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing. In 2011, Jaime completed her master’s degree in supply chain management from Penn State University. During her career, she has held various supply chain, manufacturing, finance, technology, field operations, and commercial roles within the company. She is actively involved in the Women’s Energy Network and recently served on the advisory board for the Permian Chapter in West Texas. She mentors’ women both within and outside the company to support career growth for women in the energy industry. She enjoys spending time with her family and playing sports. She is happily married and has two boys, 11 and 16 years old.
The Global Supply Chain Leader
Jaime’s role in the company is to lead the Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing for Nexus Controls. Nexus focuses on control systems and cybersecurity solutions, especially for the industrials sector. The company delivers comprehensive, scalable solutions that include superior control systems, safety, hardware, software, industrial cybersecurity, training, and services.
Nexus Controls as a business supports many key energy industries that we rely on every day: Power generation, oil and gas, nuclear, hydro and renewables, chemicals processing, pulp and paper, mining, metal processing, and industrial manufacturing.
With cybersecurity a growing concern in this industry, Nexus Controls works to navigate its customers through the complex relationship between their information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) environments. Its Nexus OnCore™ distributed control system helps plant operators improve their speed and accuracy in making critical decisions when the plant fails to operate under normal conditions.
Put another way, the technology offers a great way for plant operators to reduce risk by increasing visibility into the lifecycle of their asset, improving troubleshooting and simplifying programming. Unlike costly third-party platforms, the Nexus OnCore™ Control System also allows users to perform online configurations and changes. For the uninitiated, a control system is like the brain of a customer’s plant – this is something like your car’s computer, relaying information that is critical to operate safely and properly, to get where you want to go. The car’s computer talks to sensors and the hardware across your vehicle. Like an individual trust that system and rely on it every day, Nexus’ customers trust the company in the same way.
Fostering a Positive Culture
It doesn’t come as surprise that fostering a positive culture is critical to the success of every business. At Baker Hughes, the company believes in four core values: Grow, Collaborate, Lead, Care. It takes its’ core values very seriously and always aim to live them out.
Jaime is of the opinion that providing an environment where employees can be open and share perspectives to drive outcomes is essential to the success and the growth of people. Leading and working through Baker Hughes values guides the company’s behavior and fosters a positive culture.
Committed to bring a change
Jaime’s team is focused on key pillars: safety/quality/integrity, supply chain readiness/design, business velocity, and a LEAN transformation. The company has an excellent foundation on safety, quality, and integrity and these pillars continue to be the core of its operations. Overall, the team recognizes the value of being agile and lean to continue to evolve and exceed the customers’ expectations. The organization has a very clear roadmap to support its strategy of taking energy forward and becoming net-zero CO2 equivalent emissions by 2050. By 2030 it is committing to reduce the emissions by 50%. Its strategy is to take energy forward, making it safer, cleaner, and more efficient for people and the planet.
Throughout its strategy, one of the biggest challenges Nexus faces is understanding its customers, partners, suppliers, and peers, may all be in different stages in the energy transition journey, whether they are far along in the journey or just beginning. The company continues to share the progress, lessons learned, and its technology solutions to help support the industry’s efforts to reduce carbon footprints.
Working with and collaborating with its customers to help achieve their paths to net-zero is what excites and motivates Jaime as she moves through this journey.
Supporting the Communities
Baker Hughes strongly believes in contributing and supporting the communities it lives and works in. The Baker Hughes Foundation supports direct corporate contributions, employee contributions, donations, and volunteering. It offers many ways for employees to become involved so they can contribute in a way that fits their preferences.
Baker Hughes also does an employer match where, if it donates funds to the favorite cause, the foundation will provide a substantial donation match. This really means a lot to Jaime as an employee and as a part of community!
For example, Jaime and her family volunteer at several different organizations and it’s a way it can give back and support the community. From an energy transition perspective, in her previous role the team supported the development of a local park for the community, and she felt thrilled to be part of creating a green space for the entire community to enjoy. Finding new ways to support the community in the energy transition is the change Jaime is looking forward to being part of.
Establishing Strategic Partnerships
Jaime’s focus on technology acceleration, collaboration, and improving productivity are the ways she and her team will make the world safer, cleaner, and efficient. She mentions that rapid technology development and digital transformation is a must to meet Paris targets. Moreover, solutions to gain productivity and efficiency within oil and gas are essential to reducing emissions, as the company will still be depending on oil and gas resources through the transition. Lastly, she believes that working with customers, industry experts, partners, universities, and the community is critical to reaching the organization’s vision.
Words of Encouragement
In her advice to upcoming entrepreneurs, Jaime says, “Be sure to listen first to understand, not to respond, as we learn by active listening. And it’s okay to fail, we learn and grow through fast failure. It’s also okay not to have all the answers. Take on work and roles that will challenge you and maybe work no one else wants to do. Lastly, do not be afraid to ask for help”.
Jaime Butler, Global Operations Leader, Baker Hughes
