From the depths of the ocean to the cloud

Yahya works with a cloud solution for various applications, where many of the customers work in the depths of the sea with oil and gas. Making things work even though they are far apart is, in essence, a specialty at Cegal.

With a master's degree in petroleum technology from the University of Stavanger, Yahya found his way to Cegal and the Business Services department. There he works with application management.

 

I help manage the application portfolio of our customers in a cloud service called Cetegra. Several of our customers have over 100 applications, ranging from software that controls drilling and wells, but also applications within Microsoft 365.

For Yahya, some applications are more exciting than others.

It's particularly fun to work with an application like Petrel, which has a range of functions used in seismics and geology.

These are areas I touched upon during my studies, and it's very exciting to see how the theoretical knowledge I gained there is used in practice.

 

Together with other technicians, Yahya's job includes everything from data analysis to license management and automation of applications. The customers are mainly within the oil and gas sector.

What's exciting about that industry is how significant it is for the entire world and perhaps especially for Norway. Additionally, there is a great deal of development in the industry, with extensive digitalization. Because of that, we are seeing increasing collaboration between technologists and people with domain knowledge of oil and gas. In that sense, I am right in the middle, with a foot in each camp.

 

 

A company in development

It's not just the energy industry that's evolving - so is Cegal as a company. From its beginnings in Sandnes, Cegal has become a company with an international presence. Yahya works with customers in Germany, Mexico, Egypt, and Argentina.

There's a lot happening at Cegal, and I like that. We are growing quite fast and developing as a global company.

Having multiple offices in both Norway and abroad is a big plus; for me, it was completely seamless to continue working when I moved from Stavanger to Oslo in August. Even though we are spread out, we collaborate very well.

This diversity among colleagues contributes to being a close-knit group.

We're very inclusive, perhaps because we're all very different and work together across borders. One example is the way we are welcomed; as a new employee, you get a mentor. By the way, my mentor has become a good friend, which says something about the culture we have here. But it's not just the mentor who takes care of you; we all contribute to looking out for each other, having a chat, and doing things together.

This caring culture applies not only among colleagues but goes all the way to the top.

For me, it's very clear that the management is also concerned with making sure you are seen and heard. Recently, I had a chat with the CEO of all of Cegal, and he was genuinely interested in how I was doing in Oslo and how it was to work in the application management department. Given what I hear from my fellow students, it's not very common for the top boss to be so accommodating with all employees.

 

 

Personal development

In parallel with Cegal's development, Yahya has also acquired new skills and competencies.

I've become much more confident about how the IT industry works, I've learned a lot about cloud solutions and how new solutions are developed, with production, testing, and then deployment.

Yahya has also stepped out of his comfort zone.

I've become much better at presenting in front of larger groups, which we do a lot of in both meetings and workshops. I've also learned a lot about quality assurance of deliveries and operation of applications, with courses and certifications.

The direction Yahya wants to take his development is by no means random, but rather guided by his ambitions.

At Cegal, we have a lot of freedom, both to define the work tasks and how much responsibility you want to have, but also in which direction you want to develop.

I often talk to my manager about my ambitions and wishes, and I am largely heard. The opportunity to help shape my future is something I value highly. It is an important reason why I enjoy my job so much.