John Lindsay, president and CEO of Helmerich & Payne Inc., has worked his way up the leadership chain since joining Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co., the company’s wholly owned drilling subsidiary, in 1987.
Starting as a drilling engineer, he later served as operations manager, vice president for U.S. land operations and executive vice president for U.S. and international operations.
Lindsay held the position of executive vice president and chief operating officer for the parent company, Helmerich & Payne Inc., from Dec. 7, 2010, to Sept. 5, 2012, before being named president and chief operating officer effective March 5, 2014.
“The business has changed so dramatically during my career,” he says. “H&P has always been a leader in how we focus on the customer, the shareholders and our employees. We have a continuous improvement mindset as part of our culture, so we are always determined to get better, each and every year, in a very cyclical business.”
The oil and gas industry will always be dynamic, Lindsay says.
“For companies that are in the service business, we must have the best people, technology and solutions that satisfy our customers – and in turn, satisfy our shareholders. I believe H&P is well-positioned for the future,” he says.
Lindsay has had many mentors along the way as he advanced and stepped into different leadership roles within the company.
“What I have learned is that every position is important to the success of the company – from the floorhand and driller on our rigs, to our operational teams in the field offices, to the many business functions housed in our corporate headquarters. Every level of the organization has to be aligned and collaborating to deliver the best value to our customer. My leadership style is focused on building strong teams that are empowered to ‘do the right thing’ and leverage technology and innovation.”
H&P – an international drilling and tech company – has been in existence for 104 years, and 98 of them have been in Oklahoma. That said, the company is about to make an even bigger investment in its hometown.
“Tulsa is our home, and we love being a part of the community. This summer, our headquarters are moving to a modern, vibrant space located in the downtown Arts District,” says Lindsay. “From daily in-office employees to our hybrid workforce, to the field and international teams traveling in, this exciting new space will serve as a hub for collaboration, innovation and creativity for the future.”
Beyond Tulsa, the company’s commitment to the communities it serves is stronger than ever.
“Our community investments focus on STEM education, health and human services, disaster relief and environmental sustainability in the 11 states where H&P has a presence. We acknowledge the important role we play in influencing the efficiency, safety and environmental impacts of our industry,” he says.
Lindsay says he enjoys seeing the company’s core values demonstrated every day by its employees.
“They are the driving force behind our success, behind our innovative spirit, behind our service attitude,” he says. “They are the ones who will steer us into the next century, and for me, that’s very exciting to see.”
What is a Publicly Traded Company?
When a company decides to “go public,” that means it starts trading its stocks on the public exchange market. Investors can become shareholders by purchasing shares of the company’s stock.
The company is considered public because any interested investor can purchase shares in the public exchange to become equity owners. Taking a company public can provide a greater pool of capital, enhanced liquidity and reputational benefit, according to SEC.gov, the Securities and Exchange Commission website.
A company might also go public to acquire other businesses with the public company’s stock, to attract and compensate employees with public company stock and stock-options, or to create publicity, brand awareness or prestige, according to the SEC.
Oklahoma-Based PTCs
ONEOK (OKE) is one of the largest diversified energy infrastructure companies in the U.S. The company was founded in 1906 and has a century-plus history of transformation, transporting natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), refined products and crude to help meet domestic and international energy demands today, while innovating to meet the needs of tomorrow.
Devon Energy (DVN), with its corporate headquarters in OKC, is an oil and natural gas exploration and production company with operations focused onshore in the United States. It has a multi-basin portfolio headlined by a world-class acreage position in the Delaware Basin.
Williams Companies (WMB) uses its 33,000-mile pipeline infrastructure to move a third of the nation’s natural gas to where it’s needed, supplying the energy used to heat homes, cook food and generate low-carbon electricity. Williams is based in Tulsa.
Chesapeake Energy (CHK) develops its leading positions in the Haynesville and Marcellus shales, producing natural gas for domestic and international use. It is based in Oklahoma City with field offices in Louisiana and Pennsylvania.
NGL Energy Partners (NGL) is a diversified midstream master limited partnership that provides services to producers and end-users, including transportation, storage, blending and marketing of crude oil, natural gas liquids, refined products / renewables and water solutions. It’s headquartered in Tulsa.
Continental Resources (CLR) is an independent oil producer based in Oklahoma City. It’s the largest leaseholder and largest producer in the Bakken play of North Dakota and Montana. It also has significant positions in the SCOOP and STACK plays of the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Permian Basin of Texas.
Matrix Service Co. (MTRX), founded in 1984 as a petroleum tank provider, provides construction, maintenance and fabrication to the energy and industrial markets across North America. It’s based in Tulsa.
Paycom (PAYC) is a payroll and human resources software provider that simplifies business and empowers transparency for employees through direct access to their data. From onboarding and benefits enrollment to talent management, Paycom’s software streamlines processes and drives efficiencies.
Helmerich & Payne (HP). Through its subsidiaries, the company designs, fabricates and operates high-performance drilling rigs in conventional and unconventional plays around the world. H&P also develops and implements advanced automation, directional drilling and survey management technologies. It is based in Tulsa.
