Why Joanne Leng of NOF is a superconnector

Joanne Leng is clearly a woman who knows her business.

Having left university with a BA in Business Studies and Marketing she came to NOF - the energy sector’s business development organisation – and stayed there.

Twenty-five years and 80 overseas missions later, she is now in her dream job as Chief Executive, looking after more than 400 members and helping then make vital connections to bring home projects, collaborations, and jobs and help plan for a strong future at the heart of a sector that is in the spotlight as world events place energy squarely at the top of a global agenda.

Read more: NOF and Energi Coast reveal £1.45m offshore conference boost

The organisation has changed and adapted over the years to answer its members’ needs, but Joanne says its core message will always be the same.

“One of the things we will always do is make those connections within the supply chain - personal introductions to companies so they can start dialogues about doing business together. It’s about raising the profile of the supply chain, providing the right level of sector intelligence so that they are fully informed about opportunities and projects.

“It’s certainly very different to the NOF from 1988, when it started as a regional offshore Oil and Gas Association.

“Even though I have been here for so long, I actually fell into the energy industry by chance if I’m being honest. When I graduated from Sunderland I had a specialism that was pretty broad and could go in any direction. I applied for lots of different posts – and I’m grateful now that I didn’t get some of them.

“So I applied for a job at what was the Northern Offshore Federation at that point. That was coming in at export and marketing advisor level which attracted me because I was ambitious and it said it involved giving companies advice in the energy industry, organising events, both in the UK and internationally, and the opportunity to travel. So I thought ‘that’ll do me’, and applied - but I didn’t get it.

“Then four weeks later, a letter drops in telling me it didn’t work it with the first person, so they would like to offer it to me. I was second choice, but I could handle that, so I took it and 25 years later, I’m still here.

“So I think it was just one of those things which was meant for me – come in at the bottom and hopefully leave at the top - and there was no way it was going to pass me by.”

It helps when you are the top person at such a prominent organisation that you are already so embedded in the place and know its people, its members and its ethos so well. She was deputy for about 14 years to the legendary George Rafferty, who was in his post for 16 years and still has a key role as Director of Strategy and Growth.

That meant Joanne was heavily involved in all of the decision-making, so the handover was seamless – but she still has clear ideas about how the organisation can develop under her own tenure.

“There are obviously a few things which I’m going to make my own and maybe make a few different decisions on.

“I’m looking to do more with the personal development of the fantastic team we’ve got here. I think they’ve got a lot of potential, so I really want to build those guys up and take them forward in the organisation.

“The other things is that our membership is at an all-time high at the moment with 40 new members over the last few months, which is just phenomenal growth.

“So we really need to focus on capitalising on those membership inquiries, make sure we’ve got the capacity within the business to handle them and as we grow making sure that we keep the same culture within the business.

“That’s one of the things that is a real USP for us as a business - the friendliness, the productivity of the team, going the extra mile, and that can’t be bought in, that’s something that’s ingrained once you’re in the business. So I’m really going to push that.

“I do think there’s also a lot more we can do using external consultants who have the same ethos as NOF in different areas of the UK because I’m conscious we’re always tagged as a North East of England association, because this is our home and this is how we started as a regional association.

NOF

“But we are national and this year, we’re doing a lot more events in different regions, including Scotland so I want to really push the boundaries of these regions, and see if we can pick up more membership in different areas as well.”

So there are plenty of ideas there to keep NOF vital, but her obvious pride in an organisation that has been part of her life for such a long period means that even as the sector changes so radically what means so much to her members will always define it - connectivity.

No one has a more powerful list of contacts and members large and small feel assured that if a possible project crops up Joanne and her team will be on the phone.

“We started life as an offshore oil and gas association in this region and have a strong legacy in that area having built up the expertise and the capabilities. But NOF spent many years supporting companies to diversify into different energy sectors, starting off probably about 20 years ago, encouraging companies to move into offshore wind, because that was the next big energy sector.

“So a lot of our members now have a portfolio of oil and gas as well as big activities in offshore wind - and that’s not just in the UK, that’s international wind projects as well.

“And then we moved the companies into nuclear and now we’re pushing them into the energy transition spaces of CCS and hydrogen. So these are new energy sectors where they’ve got product services and innovation, which will fit into these sectors, but they need the knowledge base in terms of becoming a supplier into these sectors - where are the projects and who are the key buyers? That’s where we come in - trying to connect them.

“That also means developing our own staff to keep pace with all that change and updating their sector knowledge, so we’re sending the team to various conferences and workshops to develop their knowledge.

“And if you take what we’re doing this year, which is new for 2022, we’re organising energy transition workshops, one on CCS and hydrogen, one on offshore wind and one on how small companies create their own net zero strategies, all delivered in partnership with industry experts.”

The future of the sector is safe here. It has to keep pace with its own members who are reaching out to new horizons, and seems well-equipped to do that with Joanne in charge.

Being such a key reason why that reach is expanding means NOF has a circular route to success. It does its job promoting the sector, which means that its members grow, so they need more support.

The newest energy source of all is Joanne herself - changing the sector and keeping the world connected.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054