Close leads Concord Well Servicing, a division of CCS Corp.
Photography by Ewan Nicholson

Deborah Close returned home as a gender pioneer. After more than 30 years in an energy sector career that has spanned the globe, she moved back to her native Calgary last August to be president of Concord Well Servicing, a division of CCS Corp.

Positions based in Texas and London took Close away from Canada for the past 15 years. The opportunity that brought her back puts her in command of one of the largest well-servicing companies in Canada with operations of 139 service rigs. She also reconnects with friends, family and beloved surroundings. “I really missed the mountains,” says Close.

Her new role with Concord marks the first time a woman has led a Canadian well-servicing company in Alberta. For Close, her gender has never been a defining part of her job. “Honestly, I don’t think about it. I never have. I just go to work every day, I do my job, I don’t pay attention to it, and I think that attitude has served me well.”

Close entered the industry in 1974, starting in a clerical role after graduating from the University of Calgary with an arts degree in French. Her first job inspired her to take technical training that enabled her to step into roles as a petroleum engineering technologist at the Energy Resources Conservation Board and Amoco Canada.

“When I started in the business more than 30 years ago, there were hardly any women working, especially women in technical roles,” says Close. The male majority did not deter her. She credits a combination of hard work and willingness to accept responsibility with opening many doors to her. “It’s a real meritocracy,” says Close, describing the energy industry. “If you’re capable, you get the work.”

After 14 years working in technical, supply and marketing positions, she enlisted in a growth field: energy industry software. From a London base of global Halliburton Energy Services’ Landmark Graphics, she oversaw operations for North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union. Frequent trips to Moscow provided fascinating exposure to highly trained scientists who were learning the business at light speed.

The technology element is magnetic for Close. “I love the business,” she says. “I absolutely love it. It’s extremely high tech, which I think is exciting, and there is really good science going on in the industry. The other thing is that it’s an industry full of risk-takers.” Innovations from the oil and gas sector that are now being used in other fields, such as 3-D imaging in medicine, excite Close.

She has seen the digital era evolve from birth: “You couldn’t do a graph on a computer 30 years ago; all that was done by hand.” She says technology has become important across the industry spectrum from head offices to drilling rigs.

Computer software “made a difference in the way people worked. It took risk out of the business. It made people more effective and more efficient,” says Close. She also credits her years with digital product and service developers with teaching her how to run a business and the role of constant innovation.

She intends to apply the lessons to well servicing by emphasizing innovation in equipment and the business model. “If you’re not driving forward all the time, you’re actually losing,” she says. “To not be pushing forward with either technology or business process changes, to not be looking for some way to add value to your customer – if you’re not doing that, you’re going to die as a company.”

CCS president John Gibson, who recruited Close to take the helm at Concord after an extensive executive search, has known her for nearly 15 years. “You always want to get the very best leaders you can in an organization,” he says. “We’re rebuilding and retooling here for the next 10 years and she was really an outstanding candidate to maintain and grow the leadership that CCS has.”

Gibson believes Concord personnel quickly responded well to Close. “It’s irrelevant what I think. What’s really relevant is what the people that work with her think and how the customers react,” he says. “She has, in a very short time, gained the respect and confidence of the organization and that is what’s important to move us forward.”

Her predecessor as Concord president, Gordon Vivian, is staying nearby following his retirement last September. She calls the transition graceful as a result. “He’s still there if I need him.” She likes the legacy left by Vivian, who was one of Concord’s founders. “I’ve discovered that there’s this terrific foundation in place of operational excellence,” says Close. “I also see opportunities for growth, which is of course one of the reasons I’m here. I really want to help grow the company.”

Although Concord is one of Canada’s largest well-servicing companies, Close says it remains unknown outside industry inner circles. “We’re kind of a well-kept secret, which is something I need to change,” she says. “We have all these capabilities that sometimes we’re a little quieter about than we probably should be.”

She has encouraging advice for newcomers who want to follow in her footsteps. “If you really want to make a career in the oil industry, be prepared to work hard. Be prepared to work anywhere in the world. And be prepared for the odd downturn, because they do come,” says Close. “I think if you’re prepared for that, it’s a really exciting place to be.”

Related Posts

• Arctic drilling review exposes gaps in northern training
• The 100: Canada’s top-performing oil and gas firms
• The not-so-sneaky business of policing Calgary’s towers
• Inside Alberta’s quiet carbon market
• Inclusive Energy Ltd. sees opportunity in new drilling targets