Humans of Kent: Daria Thompson, HSSEQ Risk Engineer, Sakhalin

A bag full of varied experiences

I come from humble beginnings. My mother being a village school worker and my father, a sailor. Growing up in a village in Sakhalin I didn’t have many career options, but I knew that if I knew English, I’d have better chances at a successful future. I believe that each of us comes into this world bearing an unlimited potential and it’s our duty to realize this potential to the best of our abilities.

I’m grateful to have got a bag full of experiences in different fields throughout the years. Starting off as an interpreter right after university, I joined the Oil & Gas sector in Sakhalin as a PTW Coordinator onsite, followed by Contract Specialist offsite, and worked on an offshore platform in the hook-up and commissioning of the new Berkut platform. Coming into the HSE department was a school of life for me. The work scope was large, and the work was tough but all of it was extremely eye-opening. I have spent a lot of time out in the field where I got to learn a lot about the mechanics behind every work task performed on site as well as the general way that Oil & Gas contractors operate. Then, I also learned about the background work that’s done by contractor companies, the side of operations that isn’t so much exposed to the regular field workers.

I went to South East Asia and in the subsequent years I worked as a freelance mural painter as well as learning bar work and later becoming a bar manager. This unique experience taught me to work autonomously and prioritize as well as sharpened my problem-solving abilities and communication skills.

At some point I decided to return to Sakhalin and that’s when I entered the Kent family as a Project Administrator. The job was a perfect starting point for me which required the variety of skills I picked up along the way. I’m grateful my capabilities and potential were recognized and after completing my additional education, I was given the position of HSSEQ Risk Engineer. I’ve learnt a lot during my years as an Administrator and I’m grateful to the people on my team for providing me with their support and constant opportunities to improve my skills as well as giving me a chance of self-growth.

Moving into a new role of HSSEQ Risk Engineer is an exciting step for my career. I’m hoping to be able to bring worth to Kent by fully realizing my potential in this role. Very simply put, my job as an HSSEQ Risk Engineer is to make sure all our workers come back home to their families safely. It entails finding the best ways for our employees to understand and control risks related to their work tasks, as well as making sure all the employees have the necessary training to perform their job in a safe way.

My advice to anyone new in Kent is that, although some days might be tougher than the others, we should try our best each day to become at least a little bit better of a person than we were yesterday.

One thing that’s helped me along my path is knowing and embodying “If you have a goal, work towards it and don’t give up. You only fail when you quit.” Be straightforward and honest, show your best performance and voice your ambitions because our management recognizes the people who are striving for self-development and support their growth.