Solving problem in the oil & gas industry Q&A with BP's Janet Weiss.

• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: Oil & Gas - BP Exploration - Interview

Alaska's oil and gas industry is faced with a few challenges--declining revenues on top of declining production--problems that need solved. It is fortunate for the industry that BP Exploration (Alaska), Inc. Regional President Janet Weiss likes to solve problems. She's been involved in the oil and gas industry nearly thirty years, much of that in Alaska, where she began her career and where she returned two years ago to take the helm of BP's Alaska operations. Weiss shares a bit of the past, present, and future.

Alaska Business Monthly: What prompted your interest in the oil and gas industry?

Weiss: I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Oklahoma State University in the mid80s. My plan was to stay in the university atmosphere earning my bachelors, then masters, a PhD, and then become a professor. I had no plans to enter the energy industry. But, I also had limited funds to go to college so I found a long-term internship which gave me a way to earn money. The company was ARCO, and it was developing fields on Alaska's North Slope.

From that point on, I saw the energy industry differently. I love solving problems and I really liked math, chemistry, and physics. I saw tons of great problems to solve in an interesting environment. I was swept by the possibility of moving to Alaska.

Alaska Business Monthly: What have you found most rewarding about your work with BP in Alaska?

Weiss: The people. Alaska is an extraordinary place and I lead a team of dedicated people, from the front line of Prudhoe Bay to the Anchorage office. It's clear that my job as BP Alaska's regional president is to deliver safe and reliable operations. I want our employees on the front line to know how important their role is to making that happen. It's important to me that everyone goes home safely. Our two thousand employees are also 80 percent Alaska hire, with a lot of pride in their communities. Annually, BP and its employees support more than seven hundred community and education groups across Alaska through their volunteerism and philanthropy activities.

Alaska Business Monthly: How do you cultivate young Alaskans for internships and employment with BP?

Weiss: We support the University of Alaska system by providing internships for engineering, business, and geoscience students. We also support the process technology programs at UAA, UAF, and the Kenai Peninsula College. In the past decade we've hired 167 graduates as employees and interns...