Andreas Vincent, Executive National Account Manager, is a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program. He recently shared his insights on the energy services and technology sector.
ENERGY WORKFORCE: What is your role with the company? What does a typical day look like?
Andreas Vincent: I am a part of the Downstream Corporate Accounts Team with MRC Global as an Executive National Account Manager. In my role, I manage a variety of customers in the chemical sector from a corporate perspective and work closely with the global pipe, valve and fitting (PVF) commodity experts, local sales and operations for each of my accounts. As a team, we prioritize how we will drive MRC Global’s value to our customers’ supply chain. Day-to-day activities consist of assisting local servicing branches, inside sales representatives with anything from order intake to invoicing and joining outside sales representatives on their visits to the various customer locations to present the value-added services MRC Global provides to drive value and sales.
EW: What individual has been most instrumental in helping with your career? What did their mentorship look like, and how did it guide your path?
AV: Numerous folks have helped me get to where I am today in my career, but I would have to say the most influential person thus far has been Carla Cooper. Before she retired, she was a Director of Business Development with MRC Global. When I started my career at an EPC buying PVF, we interacted often as she managed the business MRC Global pursued with the EPC. Three years into my position at the EPC, I pursued a new opportunity in the outside sales world with an international company as its representative in the U.S. From that point, I met with Carla monthly for guidance in the new company and my success as an outside sales representative in our industry. Within two years, I was offered a position to work directly for Carla at MRC Global and accepted it. It was a great decision as I worked with Carla daily and she helped develop the business development characteristics that I still use today.
EW: What was your impression of the industry beforehand and how has it evolved?
AV: After graduating from Texas A&M in 2012, I had no idea how large the industry was, and the various sectors and facets that the energy world had to offer. The last 10 years have opened my eyes to the amount of activity taking place daily and the cyclical nature of the business. I have also been taken aback by the incredible people and coworkers I have been able to meet, learn from and work with along the way.
EW: What has surprised you most about the industry?
AV: The biggest surprise has been the evolution of the Green Energy push and the adoption from some of the largest companies in the world to do their part – to transition their existing plants or build new ones – to adapt to the world we are living in today for a better tomorrow. I am excited to see what is to come and how this focus on the reduction of emissions and carbon footprint will continue to transition our industry.
EW: What role do you believe you will play in the industry’s future?
AV: Aside from continuing my career with MRC Global and driving the most value possible to our customers, I am a part of the PVF Roundtable and a Young Professionals group (specifically in the PVF space), both of which offer a variety of great networking opportunities. Looking into the future, I would like to be a part of more organizations like these but with more focus on process efficiencies and how we can transform our industry for the better moving forward and passing my knowledge on to the next generation of young professionals joining the industry.
EW: How has your involvement in Energy Workforce supported your career goals?
AV: My involvement in the course has opened my eyes to a great community of hard-working, similar-minded people who have brought all kinds of new ideas to our strategic networking meetings. It has helped me to learn and understand how to approach a wide variety of situations in my day-to-day work life and the one-on-one mentor meetings with Scott Donald were a great way to have some deep-dive conversations. These classes were widely beneficial for building a strategy for approaching new and existing customers more efficiently, like preparing for meetings and different ways of developing better relationships with customers.
EW: Who are one or two individuals you’ve met while working in the industry who have impacted your thinking?
AV: Two folks that have most recently impacted my thinking were the two most recent managers that I have reported to. The first one, Matt Kruger, MRC Global’s Executive Director – Downstream Corporate Accounts, has managed one of our largest accounts in the downstream sector for over eight years and has taught me a wide variety of strategies, especially when I am struggling with an issue. He has always been great to take a step back and look at the bigger picture to find a solution.
The latest person to impact my thinking is Jonathon Doran, who was recently tasked with growing MRC Global’s footprint in the chemical industry. As I was already managing accounts in that space, I was selected to join his team. He is the definition of hard work and a company man who understands everything that MRC Global has to offer. Straight out of Texas A&M in 2012, he started working for MRC Global in sales support and has grown into a major role in Corporate Accounts. I am looking forward to this next step and learning everything I can from him.
EW: What’s a technology or innovation you’ve seen in the sector that impressed you?
AV: COVID brought on a lot of hardships, but I think it also expanded the ability to have meetings virtually through a wide variety of applications available. This impressed me, as I would have never thought it would become such a large piece of how we interact with each other daily. For instance, the fact that I could take this Advanced Business Development course for 12 months completely virtually is impressive.
EW: What advice would you give someone just getting started in the oil and gas industry?
AV: Get involved in different networking groups and intercompany learning opportunities — knowledge is power and don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are tons of brilliant people who have a wealth of knowledge and are willing to share and pass that knowledge along to the next generation of folks who are working in the industry.
EW: What do you wish other people knew about oil and gas?
AV: The industry is much larger than simply getting gas to your vehicle.
EW: What do you do for fun?
AV: I enjoy riding mountain bikes, downhill snow skiing and traveling with friends.
EW: What’s your idea of a perfect vacation?
AV: A perfect vacation would consist of a couple of days of hiking or some sort of great physical activity, followed by a couple of days of relaxation on the beach or at a chalet at the bottom of Ski Hill having a cold beer in the sun.
EW: What’s a fun fact that people would never guess about you?
AV: I am tri-lingual, and English was the third language that I learned to speak, read and write.
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