Katie Pavlovsky on continuous learning and the role of women in the Energy Industry

An Energizing Industry

Katie moved to Houston after finishing undergrad at a point in time when hiring was steady at energy companies when compared to other industries. Katie recalls being surrounded by energy after the move, and that it was “energy not just as it relates to the commodity but the city of Houston itself had a certain level of energy and innovation that was quite contagious and exhilarating.”

She began her career in commercial insurance, where she applied her educational background in environmental economics to model the implications of environmental exposures on insurance policies for Energy, Resources & Industrials companies. This work had Katie doing big data before big data was a thing and she got to know the risk associated with various types of Energy, Resources & Industrials companies and their operations. She also turned this modeling into something more consultative, where she helped these companies develop their business cases for factoring long term liabilities into their decision making and operations.

Next, Katie took a job at an airline for the opportunity to work at a corporate headquarters, and because airlines must strategically manage energy risk and volatility. She had a sponsor in both of those jobs, who advised Katie that “if you have other interests you want to explore, then now is the time to leave, because you tend to spend too much time in one environment and then have a hard time working your way out because you become so specialized.” Katie took this advice to heart and joined Deloitte almost 22 years ago.

Continuous learning at Deloitte

When Katie was evaluating which consulting firm to join, she was excited by Deloitte’s culture and spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship. She noticed that leadership at Deloitte had an appreciation for the insights that people could bring from the industry, outside of consulting.

This spirit of innovation was one factor that enabled Katie to develop the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practice in Risk & Financial Advisory over 20 years ago. It was an exciting opportunity to help clients understand and get ahead of both the challenges and opportunities that ESG brings. Katie connected different skill sets from across Deloitte to help clients solve challenges across the continuum of ESG, including strategy, operations, governance, engineering, regulatory, economic modeling, accounting, investigations, and more. She made Partner by developing and running this business, and is now thrilled that after all these years, ESG is a strategic consideration for all organizations and a key pillar of Deloitte’s strategy.

The spirit of innovation attracted Katie to Deloitte, the atmosphere and culture of constant learning has kept her here.

Katie said that she, “likes to continue to learn and wants to be in a continuous graduate school environment her whole life.” Deloitte has provided just that, and she has been able to take on leadership roles and expand the scope and breadth of what she manages for the firm beyond what she grew up doing.

Recently, a career highlight has been expanding her expertise by supporting the management of the cyberbusiness for Energy, Resources & Industrials, which is also a key component of ESG. “We’re in unknown territory when it comes to cybersecurity, the electrical engineers and cybersecurity specialists are talking about new technologies that have never been deployed before and we’re really on the cutting edge.” This means that Deloitte gets to support both our clients and communities in advancing and modernizing the grid and bringing security to the grid as the nation move towards alternative energy sources.

Another exciting opportunity for hands-on learning and one of Katie’s best days on the job, was when she took a helicopter to an offshore rig to do risk assessments. Katie recalls “the exhilaration of being on a helicopter over the water and landing on a rig that you can hardly see”, and how that culminated in the client recovering on the investment of that oil rig the very next day. That experience really highlighted the number of interesting things that one can do within the firm.

Being a female leader in energy

On the oil rig, Katie was the only woman, but she grew up with great role models who made it clear to Katie that she could do whatever she set out to do. Her dad was a military officer who worked with very strong women in the military, and in second grade, Katie started going to work with her dad a few times a year where she could see these female leaders in action. Her mom was a trailblazer as well and had to be agile about how she deployed her educational background as a military spouse.

Both due to her previous jobs and her experiences as a woman, Katie was able to contribute ideas while out on the oil rig that would have otherwise been missed. She shared her belief that there is an opportunity for women in energy to think about the diversity of experiences they’ve had, the platform they have to share, and to be strategic and intentional in terms of where, when, and for what purposes they share those experiences. Due to the transformations that the industry is going through, Katie thinks there is significant opportunity for women to fill the talent pipeline shortage.

The future of energy

Overall, Katie believes that it’s an incredible time to be in the Energy Industry. Energy companies are frequently a first mover when it comes to technology and transformation, and they are leading the way for both information technology and operational technology. The Energy Industry is indispensable and the heartbeat of all industries, and it has a huge role to play in ESG and the energy transition.