Chance has played a big role in Tatjana Sadyrina’s professional life. As a child in Russia she wanted to become a musician or a diplomat and later studied psychology and arts. During her last year as a student, however, her life took a completely different course when she was headhunted by a Norwegian-Russian joint venture. The company started a production facility in northern Russia, and Tatjana’s first role was as an interpreter and marketing assistant. Soon she became involved in business matters and today she has 20+ years of experience from the international oil & gas and nuclear safety sectors. “Although this wasn’t the career I planned, I have loved every minute of it. Russia in the 90’s was perhaps one of the most challenging places ever to build a transparent international business.

“If I were to write my memoirs, people wouldn’t believe half of it!”

After working for different international companies in Russia, Tatjana ended up in Norway. Although it was meant to be temporary visit, she has now lived there for 20 years and become a Norwegian citizen.

In December 2015, Tatjana Sadyrina was appointed Global Business & Development Director, Oil & Gas at Citec. This latest change in her career was a conscious decision rather than a stroke of luck. “When I saw the job ad for Citec, I had already been working for Ramboll Group and Ramboll Oil & Gas for ten years and felt that it was time to move on. Funny enough, as soon as I applied for the position at Citec I started receiving phone calls from head hunters. However, the job at Citec is kind of my dream job, and I was very excited when I was selected.” Tatjana praises her new employer; according to her, Citec has been full of positive surprises. “Many companies become complicated and bureaucratic when they grow. At Citec I feel that the management is very approachable and that the decision lines are short.”

At Citec, Tatjana is involved in seeking new strategic opportunities, both in Citec’s existing markets as well as in new potential markets. Needless to say, the job is challenging since the oil & gas industry is currently in survival mode due to low oil prices. However, Tatjana believes that Citec can benefit from the fact that the market is now clearly being reshuffled.

“We are independent and more flexible than larger companies, which means that we have an ability to find feasible solutions that are adjusted to the economy of a certain project. In addition, Citec has a long international experience of running projects at split locations, and we can engage in long-term partnerships.”

According to Tatjana, the oil & gas industry has proven many times before that it can overcome the most difficult of circumstances, although the current price depression is deeper than predicted. “I’m confident that we will start seeing rays of light in the beginning of 2017, as many predictions point to an increased demand, at least in the long term.”

As Tatjana Sadyrina’s professional life has put her in some rather tough and extreme situations over the years, it’s no surprise to discover that she enjoys a little excitement in her spare time as well – after all, her hobbies involve F1 racing, rock climbing and surfing. Tatjana describes herself as an energetic international traveller, who thrives at a fast tempo. As a woman in a very technical and male-dominated sector, she is used to having to prove herself. “My task has always been to challenge existing ways of thinking and doing things. I need to stay excited in order to perform well.”