Negotiation Skills and Techniques for Energy Professionals

Many technical experts find it difficult to move out of their expertise areas and deal with commercial matters. Negotiating to optimise business value is a step further from their comfort zones. All too often negotiations are then left to finance personnel. They bring many strengths to the table but an understanding of engineering trade-offs is not one of them.

• Master the fundamental elements of successful negotiations, including preparation techniques, goal-setting strategies, and understanding when to walk away from unfavorable deals in technical and commercial contexts.
• Develop proficiency in different negotiating styles (win-win vs. win-lose) and learn to strategically choose the most appropriate approach based on specific technical and commercial situations in the oil & gas industry.
• Acquire practical skills in managing complex negotiations, including handling confrontation, managing team dynamics, utilizing time-outs effectively, and documenting agreements progressively during negotiations.
• Learn to evaluate comparative strengths and weaknesses in negotiating positions, particularly in technical contract scenarios, and develop strategies to optimize outcomes even from disadvantaged positions.
• Gain expertise in managing cross-cultural negotiations and closing deals effectively, with specific focus on documenting agreements, promoting closure, and ensuring clear communication across different cultural contexts in the energy sector.

By the end of this course, the participants will add to their technical know-how a core competence in negotiation skills. They will thus become formidable negotiating opponents.

The course is intended for middle-managers and technical and other staff who are responsible for contracts, but with limited previous exposure to negotiations, and who will need these skills in the near future.

• Basic
• Intermediate

Your expert course leader is an internationally recognized expert in technical negotiations and organizational excellence, bringing over three decades of experience across industry, consulting, and academia. His unique blend of engineering expertise and commercial acumen makes him particularly effective in bridging the gap between technical and business perspectives.

During his distinguished 15-year career with Shell, he held several senior positions including Engineering Manager and Change Manager, where he led complex negotiations with contractors, vendors, and trade unions across Asia-Pacific. His hands-on experience spans critical areas such as equipment procurement, maintenance contracts, and technical service agreements in the oil and gas sector.

Following his corporate career, he spent five years as a Senior Consultant with McKinsey & Company, where he advised Fortune 500 companies on strategic negotiations and organizational transformation. His work has directly influenced major international joint ventures and strategic alliances across the energy sector, particularly in emerging markets.

As a Principal Consultant at Melbourne Business School, he developed and delivered executive education programs focused on negotiation skills and technical leadership. His teaching methodology, which combines theoretical frameworks with practical application, has benefited thousands of professionals worldwide. Current areas of expertise include:

• Strategic negotiation in technical environments
• Cross-cultural business negotiations
• Alliance and partnership development
• Contract negotiation and management
• Organizational transformation
• Technical leadership development

He holds a PhD in Change Management from the University of Melbourne, along with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Power Electrical Engineering from the University of New South Wales. His academic credentials are complemented by extensive field experience in both operational and strategic roles.His co-authored book “Patterns of Excellence” (with Professor Danny Samson, Financial Times Management) has been adopted as a core text for management development by several Fortune 500 companies. The book draws on his extensive experience in both technical and commercial negotiations to provide practical frameworks for organizational excellence.

Recent Industry Experience:

• Lead advisor on multi-billion-dollar energy infrastructure negotiations in Southeast Asia
• Designer and facilitator of negotiation capability programs for major oil and gas companies
• Strategic consultant for technical contract negotiations in complex international environments
• Expert mediator in joint venture remediation for energy sector partnerships

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

• PhD in Change Management, University of Melbourne
• Master’s in Power Electrical Engineering, UNSW
• Bachelor’s in Power Electrical Engineering, UNSW
• Certified Professional Negotiator (CPN)
• Member, International Association for Contract and Commercial Management (IACCM)

Unlock the potential of your workforce with customized in-house training programs designed specifically for the energy sector. Our tailored, in-house courses not only enhance employee skills and engagement but also offer significant cost savings by eliminating travel expenses. Invest in your team’s success and achieve specific outcomes aligned with your organization’s goals through our expert training solutions. Request for further information regarding our on-site or in-house training opportunities.

In our ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, we will no longer providing hard copy training materials. Instead, all training content and resources will be delivered in digital format. Inspired by the oil and energy industry’s best practices, we are leveraging on digital technologies to reduce waste, lower our carbon emissions, ensuring our training content is always up-to-date and accessible. Click here to learn more.

To further optimise your learning experience from our courses, we also offer individualized “One to One” coaching support for 2 hours post training. We can help improve your competence in your chosen area of interest, based on your learning needs and available hours. This is a great opportunity to improve your capability and confidence in a particular area of expertise. It will be delivered over a secure video conference call by one of our senior trainers. They will work with you to create a tailor-made coaching program that will help you achieve your goals faster.
Request for further information post training support and fees applicable