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[1] Within to see the light of day, or the depths of the oceans, intrapreneurs must champion them. As a subsea well engineer, Mark Reed works with a team to install and test subsea equipment for offshore drilling rigs and construction vessels. Engineers like Reed are valuable because they can think beyond the mechanical aspects of a problem to find the best, most efficient solutions for both their companies and customers. Consider the difficulties encountered when engineering solutions for offshore environments. Isolated rigs demand reliability and serviceability. At the same time, the variable and harsh environmental conditions require flexible and adaptable solutions. Engineers must assimilate an incredible amount of information to gain the insights needed to solve the problems at hand. Reed recounted an instance where he and his team helped develop a new tool necessary to address a specific challenge. Reed applied some learning from a KEEN-based program called iScholars. Using thinking processes he learned as a student, he was able to generate ideas and help select the best concepts. “We selected two of the simpler concepts to complete the objective. They were chosen to ensure there was enough redundancy and reliability to get the job done safely and efficiently,” Reed says. After building the tool and testing it in a challenging timeframe, the tool was used with success. It was a great opportunity to use the entrepreneurial mindset he learned through KEEN. “The entrepreneurial mindset is about having an open mind to think of a simpler, more efficient, or overall better solution,” he says. Receiving most of his projects at the pain-point stage, it is Greg Keogh’s job to talk to customers, gather data, research ideas, and move projects through the design process. “The drilling world is especially fun since the engineering can be so raw and the environments are so extreme. It creates a lot of interesting design challenges,” Keogh says. Keogh emphasizes the importance of being an intrapreneur at NOV. “Intrapreneurship is what completely drives our group,” he said. “Our mindset is to put the customer’s needs first and attack the design problem from that priority. In my opinion, ideation is one of the best uses of employee time. It creates new markets, drives growth, and can even help develop solutions to problems on current products.” The entrepreneurial mindset they learned through KEEN helps drive both men to be better engineers and critical thinkers. Looking back at their education, both Reed and Keogh recognize that prospective employers are attracted to graduates who demonstrate the right mindset. Keogh offers advice to students seeking similar positions. “Try to compete in every school competition. Seek out design competitions, elevator pitch competitions, iScholars, the Weekly Innovation Challenge, design classes, and anything that has you working with industry professionals and consumers.” As in every industry, employers in the oil and gas industry need employees with unequivocal skillsets and mindsets to tackle its challenges. They need the technical and business explorers, the intrepid engineers, the champions of value creation within existing organizations — the intrapreneurs. NOV’s Steel Toe Walking System The entrepreneurial mindset they learned through KEEN helps drive both men to be better engineers and critical thinkers. TOGETHER , OURWORK MAKES ENGINEERING EDUCATION TRANSFORMATIVE FOR OUR STUDENTS . THERE’S POWER IN A NETWORK OF LIKE-MINDED FACULTYWHO ARE FOCUSED ON PROVIDING ALL STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GROWTHEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSETS . [1] See Deepwater Frontiers, bit.ly/bpfrontiers 35 34