Aramco supports Rice University’s Women in Leadership Conference

The value of inclusivity shaped the 24th annual Women in Leadership Conference hosted by Rice University early February in Houston. 

Aramco Americas representatives from across the company—Law, Human Resources, Research and Development, Marketing, and Public Affairs—attended the day-long dialogue which had more than 500 students and business professionals, both men and women, discussing a range of workplace issues.

Aramco was a President's Level sponsor for a second year.

The theme Challenge. Disrupt. Elevate: Making Room For Women Everywhere took on an authentic tone with women across industries sharing their challenges, successes, and strategies for navigating career paths with panels such as Developing Your Negotiation Skills and Understanding Leadership Styles.

Judy Sultan, Corporate Citizenship supervisor, Aramco Americas, served as a panelist for Finding Balance: Support and Advocacy While Juggling It All providing her insights on balancing your personal and professional life.

“I like to call myself a ‘recovering perfectionist’,” quipped Sultan.  Her comment was met with laughter as her words hit home with many in the audience.  It brought levity to a subject that many deal with.  “Understand your personal values and learn to prioritize,” she said.  “Recognize that every single day may not look the same. You’re always evolving, so give yourself some grace.”

Aramco attendees characterized the conference as reinvigorating.  “The opening session set the tone for the day.  It was encouraging and made me proud to be a woman working in corporate America,” said Caroline Brackeen, counsel, Aramco Americas Law.

Hanan AlOlayan, manager of Operations, Aramco Americas Marketing, whose career with Aramco includes assignments at headquarters in Dhahran, New York City, and now Houston, commented that many women face the same challenges.  “A good takeaway was the advice that everyone should have a mentor and a coach to learn how to react to situations and be confident,” she said.  

Organized through Rice University’s Jess H. Jones Graduate School of Business, the conference has become widely recognized and the school highly rated by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review for its exceptional Master of Business Administration programs.  More women are in the MBA pipeline or seeking advanced degrees as they chart their career course.