Ivana Todd | Commercial Manager, Crude Oil
Joined Vitol: 2008
Hometown: London via Skopje, Rio de Janeiro, Almaty, Mumbai, Moscow
Current Office: London
Role: Commercial Manager, Crude Oil
Education: BSc Economics & Geography at London School of Economics
Interests: Theatre, travel, hiking, netball
I was working on a graduate programme for an oil major in Moscow when I first came across Vitol. I did three years of rotation, including a year in oil trading where Vitol was one of the clients. It was through this experience that I got to know the company and was impressed with their work.
My role focuses on FSU countries. I initially did hedging for the crude oil book for the first two years and then moved across to physical deals in Russia and Central Asia. I understood the culture well and had already built a network of contacts while living in the region, which combined with the knowledge I’d acquired, was really valuable.
Vitol is a meritocracy. It doesn’t matter what background you’re from, if you work hard and achieve results then you’ll be recognised and rewarded. The door is open to seek out new opportunities and to drive your own projects forward. At Vitol, you have the freedom to take charge of your own development.
The market is fast paced and unpredictable, which makes every day interesting and challenging. My team has to be able to react to trends and changes, such as the cost of shipping, geopolitics or refinery economics. Gathering market intelligence is a big part of the job so every morning I speak to my team in London, Rotterdam, Moscow, Singapore, Nur Sultan and Geneva to find out what’s been going on.
Here, we live our business, we’re in it 100%. It’s a team effort, if there is a deal to be done you will have full support across all functions to get that deal done. Decisions are made quickly without having to go through layers of management. You need to be driven, ambitious and be able to take measured risks.
I’ve always taken the long-term view in how we collaborate with partners. My proudest achievements at Vitol have happened over a number of years, not in one moment. We’ve negotiated complex, large-scale deals that collaborate with a range of stakeholders, from oil majors to governments. You’ve got to understand what the person on the other side of the table wants to achieve and find a win/win solution for all parties.
We need to find futureproof solutions for the world. The energy sector is changing and it needs new ideas and leadership. Now is a fantastic opportunity for new talent, especially more women, to come through, find solutions and design our new world.