Working in Operation & Maintenance - Or is passion a double-edged sword ?

In recent weeks, I’ve received feedback such as: “I think you are truly passionate about working in Operation & Maintenance (O&M) in the Power Generation industry. Usually, people choose O&M as a last resort,” and “Your CV is so focused on O&M; you are in a niche segment. If you want to switch jobs, you should look for something in Services.”

This feedback made me reflect: Is it good to be a passionate person? Why do people assume that skills and experience from O&M cannot be applied to large infrastructure project planning and execution?

Before I delve into these questions, let me share a bit about myself. Out of my 18 years of working experience, 16 years have been in O&M, also known as “Services,” for Power Generation assets. I started with Thermal Power stations, working on generators and steam turbines. Since January 2022, I have been involved in Renewable Energies, specifically Offshore Wind Turbine Services. Throughout these years, I’ve had managers who hired me for my skills and believed in my potential to excel in various roles, including Project Management, Global Sales Leader, Global Service Operation Leader, and most recently, Global Product Management Leader. Some of these managers were “Service guys” through and through, while others came from EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) backgrounds and took over O&M teams as our products matured in their life cycles.

I recall one of my interviewers before joining ALSTOM saying, “You need to know something about O&M. There is no glory. Everyone expects power stations to run smoothly. If you do a good job, it often goes unnoticed, but when there is unplanned downtime, everyone will jump at you to fix the problem as quickly as possible. Our job is to keep the lights on.”

“Keeping the lights on” has been my guiding principle for the past 16 years. So, yes, I am a passionate person because I have found purpose in what I do. I help maintain one-third of the global power generation assets, providing affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity to millions of people every day.

Passionate people are energetic, self-driven, authentic, resilient, and curious about how the world works. We stay positive and committed to our passion even when faced with obstacles. I’ve had my fair share of challenges in O&M, as there is a tendency, or just Murphy’s Law, for power generation assets to break down around a Friday afternoon or holiday. Does this mean I can only be passionate about O&M? The answer is simple – I need purpose in what I do, and purpose can be found in all areas along the value chain, from making the business case for a new wind farm to building or repowering one.

This brings me to the transferability of skills and competencies from Operation & Maintenance. Throughout my career, I’ve held various roles and built a portfolio of transferable skills such as Project Management, Contract Management, Customer and Supplier Relationships, Deal Creation & Negotiations, Budget Planning & Forecasting, Resource Allocation, Change Management, Leadership, Product Management, and Technology Partnerships. 

I believe that not all skills and experiences are recognised by recruiters when O&M professionals apply for “bigger roles.” Individuals who have worked in Operation & Maintenance are often excellent problem solvers (ever had to find parts or tools lost during logistics?), adept at identifying and mitigating risks and challenges (short, mid, and long term as you work with customers over the asset life), capable of working under pressure (when was the last time an angry customer yelled at you?), and agile and adaptive as life doesn’t always go as planned (I’ve had projects interrupted due to volcanic eruptions or war).

How about we focus on the experiences, transferable skills, willingness to make an impact, and attitude of a candidate instead of labelling them as an “O&M / Service person” and making this work seem inferior?

To connect this with my current work, I recently read a BCG article highlighting the pivotal role of O&M in enhancing the operational performance of offshore wind farms. The article discusses a shift from production-focused to revenue-focused O&M strategies, which is crucial for enhancing asset availability, adapting to market volatilities, focusing on revenue throughout the asset’s lifetime, and achieving sustainable long-term asset management.

Change is not easy but balancing Projects and Operation & Maintenance, including leveraging employees across these areas, will help future-proof the industry.