From Pharma to Oil and Gas: Women in STEM Careers Speak on Progress and Change

What comes through in speaking to women across the sector is not a single story of progress, but a range of lived experiences. Some industries have shifted more visibly than others, and in parts of energy and offshore environments in particular, women still remain in the minority. At the same time, there is a growing focus on visibility, representation, and actively encouraging more women into technical and operational roles. 

This piece focuses on those experiences, what it has been like to build careers in these spaces, and what continues to shape them today. 

Working Across Changing Environments 

For many women in STEM, career development has meant adapting to different teams, cultures, and expectations along the way. 

Vivian Amaliasari has worked in oil and gas for more than two decades, across multiple countries including Qatar, Iraq, Denmark, and the UAE. 

“At first, it was quite challenging, but then we know ourselves and find our place.” 

Each environment brought something different. In offshore and operational settings, she notes that women are still in the minority. 

“There are not many women offshore, so being a minority was a challenge.” 

Over time, she describes how working relationships are built less around difference and more around how people work together day to day. 

“When we treat people well, we get the same treatment.” 
“The most important thing is how we approach people.” 

Her experience reflects a wider reality in parts of the energy sector, where women are present, but not yet evenly represented. 

Careers Built Through Experience, Support, and Opportunity 

Not all STEM careers follow a straight path. For some, they begin in entirely different directions and evolve over time through experience and opportunity. 

Clare McNeill reflects on her early career: 

“I started off trying to be a fashion buyer. There’s a big leap in a different direction.” 

Her entry into industry highlighted the scale of imbalance at senior levels in particular settings. 

“The first time I went to an industry dinner at the Grosvenor Hotel… there were 1,500 guests. There were probably only about 60 of us that were women.” 

Despite this, she is clear that progression has come through experience and support rather than formal qualification alone. 

“I’ve got no degree. I’ve got no professional qualifications, but I’ve done it all through experience.” 

“I’ve met a lot of very, very good people along my career who have been prepared to share knowledge, mentor and support you.” 

Her perspective points to something consistent across STEM careers: access to opportunity and support networks often plays a defining role in long-term progression. 

Confidence, Visibility, and Finding Your Place in Industry 

For women entering STEM environments, especially in more traditionally male-dominated sectors, confidence is often built over time through experience. 

Leanne O’Riordan has seen the composition of her teams change over her career in Life Science- computational sciences and pharmaceuticals. 

“When I started, I was the only woman on the team.” 

More recently, that balance has shifted in her immediate environment. 

“Now we’re three women and two men.” 

While experiences vary between organisations, she describes a gradual shift in visibility within parts of the pharmaceutical sector. 

In manufacturing and operational environments, Alannah Martyn reflects a different transition: moving from education into industry. 

“In college, it was majority women…” 

But that changes in the workplace. 

“But now in the job I’m in, especially in manufacturing, I think that is more male dominated.” 

She also points to where early careers are being built: 

“Manufacturing is such a good area… you learn so much on the floor.” 

Her experience reflects a common theme: progression comes through exposure, learning, and being given space to grow into roles. 

Recruitment, Representation, and Shifting the Pipeline 

Alongside individual career experiences, those working in recruitment see the broader patterns shaping the workforce itself. 

Julie Ross, Recruitment Partner at TEP UK (Neo Next Plus), has seen the industry evolve over more than two decades in recruitment and HR-facing roles across oil and gas and engineering sectors. 

She describes a clear shift in how organisations are thinking about diversity and inclusion, particularly in traditionally male-dominated areas such as drilling, engineering, and HSE. 

“There’s been a tight sort of look on making sure that there’s more women being involved in certain roles.” 

For her, this is not only about policy, but about visibility and encouragement at entry level. 

“We needed more people in the industry to entice them, to see how attractive it can be, and make it more appealing to ladies who maybe were doubting making a move into that sort of industry.” 

She also notes that change is already visible within organisations: 

“We’ve got directors and managers in drilling, engineering and HSE who are absolutely thriving as women in this industry, which has always been male dominated.” 

From a recruitment perspective, she believes representation plays a key role in shaping future talent pipelines. 

“It really helps if you can advertise women in that type of position and actually put that out there, and let everyone know how fruitful their career has been.” 

“The females that are actually in these positions need to promote it more. We need to be pushing that out more.” 

Her view adds an important layer to the wider conversation: progress is not only about hiring differently, but also about visibility, storytelling, and active role modelling. 

What the Industry Still Looks Like 

Across these conversations, there is no single version of the STEM workplace. 

In pharmaceuticals and life sciences, women are often more visible within technical teams. In energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, and offshore environments, representation remains lower, particularly in operational and senior roles. 

However, there is also a clear shift underway. Recruitment practices are evolving, organisations are actively promoting inclusion, and more women are stepping into leadership roles that were historically male dominated. 

Looking Ahead 

While progress has been made, there is still work to do, particularly in sectors where women remain underrepresented and at senior levels across industry. 

What these stories show is that there is no single path into STEM. Whether in pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, energy, or recruitment, women are building successful careers, developing expertise, and shaping the future of their industries. 

Importantly, they also show that change is not only happening within individuals’ careers, but across the systems that bring people into these roles in the first place. 

For those already working in STEM, and for those considering it, these experiences are a reminder that opportunities continue to grow. The industry is changing, and the women working within it , across engineering, operations, science, and recruitment are an important part of that change. 

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