Nick Putnam
Nick is an OUBEP alumnus from the 2020 Summer Programme when he was a divisional Business Manager at Shell UK.
Nick is now an independent organisational consultant, helping businesses find direction and purpose in complex economic environments
What Nick has to say
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ENROL ON THE OUBEP SUMMER PROGRAMME?
The programme was highly recommended by a trusted colleague with direct experience. It offered succinct access to essential economics, an excellent grounding, vital for strategic decisions and a perfect opportunity to extend my network of industry peers.
HOW HAVE YOU USED YOUR LEARNING FROM OUBEP IN YOUR WORK?
I was responsible for pricing decisions. The Game Theory helped enormously because it was important to make smart choices whilst avoiding any hint of industry collusion, for obvious reasons of competition law. Later, working on major capital investment projects, deeper understanding of the international business environment was essential for me and for my engineering colleagues.
WHAT IMPACT HAS COMPLETING THE OUBEP SUMMER PROGRAMME HAD ON YOUR CAREER? AND FOR YOU PERSONALLY?
I was able to work constructively in support of multi-billion dollar investments, finding the right questions to help specialists unlock improvements, for example, to construction phasing, that saved many hundreds of millions and enabled the projects to be built. Those plants are now amongst the most important revenue earners.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEBODY ENROLLING THEMSELVES OR AN EMPLOYEE ON THE OUBEP SUMMER PROGRAMME 2023?
Devote time to the background reading and preparation well in advance so that you can make the most of the shared experience AND explore the material thoroughly with tutors, peers and visiting speakers. Spending time in Oxford is always a rich experience; make the most of it by concentrating on engaging with others.