Recognition
People
Engineering Intelligence, In Practice
Published: 06/23/2026
Featured:
Connect Women
- Schlumberger Foundation
Global
"I wish I had known earlier that engineering careers are rarely a straight line. Some of the most valuable growth comes from unexpected projects, new roles, and challenges you didn't plan for. Stay curious, and trust that every experience is shaping your journey."
That insight came out of a recent conversation with women across SLB who were asked to share the advice they wished they'd had earlier in their careers. It resonated — because it's true, and because it's rarely said out loud. Raneem, shares a similar story. She joined SLB as a Stimulation Field Engineer in Denmark and is now a Planning & Supply Chain Manager in Saudi Arabia — a path she wouldn't have anticipated pursuing but that she’s proud of today.
It's also the kind of thinking that shaped how SLB's Connect Women employee-led group – the oldest at SLB, which counts over 19,000 active members – marked International Women in Engineering Day this year. The London chapter of Connect Women spent the day with researchers from the Schlumberger Foundation's Faculty for the Future program — women engineers and scientists from emerging economies pursuing PhDs and postdoctoral work in fields ranging from AI in healthcare to climate risk forecasting.
What brought the room together, under the theme “Engineering Intelligence” wasn't just shared expertise. It was the recognition that technical skills, while essential, only go so far. The afternoon session focused explicitly on the non-technical skills that truly drive one’s career: adaptability, resilience, curiosity and courage
"At its heart, engineering is about solving problems. Engineering intelligence is the ability to combine technical knowledge with a deep understanding of the context in which solutions will be applied. That's what we see in our Faculty for the Future Fellows as they show up with courage to take on problems in countries that matter to them."
This year’s INWED is a powerful reminder of the importance of cultivating creativity, insight, and courage to solve problems that haven't been solved before, and to keep going when the path isn't obvious. That's what SLB’s culture is about and what our people have continued demonstrating for over 100 years.
