Powerful Women at SSE: Lamé

My name is Lamé; I am from Benin-City, Nigeria, in West Africa. I studied Economics & Statistics at the University of Benin for my undergrad and Energy and Environmental Management and Economics for my Master’s degree at the ENI Corporate University in Milan, Italy. I also hold an MBA from Imperial College London, UK.

I started my career with ENI as a Petroleum Economist for several years in Nigeria and Italy before moving to the UK to work with energy organisations like Sterling Energy Plc (now Afentra) and E.ON Ruhrgas (now part of Harbour). After five years as Head of Economics at E.ON, I moved to a consulting role with Baker Hughes, which took me to Houston, Texas, as the Economics Manager for the Americas. 

I returned to the UK in 2015 to set up two companies: an energy consulting firm and a low-carbon, high-density polyethene pipeline company. I ran and grew both companies for a few years before returning to corporate. 

I joined Haliburton and led the regional treasury function for Europe, Eurasia & Sub-Saharan Africa up until 2020. Following the pandemic, I decided to focus more on renewables and went back into consulting, working on renewable projects like fuel cells, battery storage and Hydrogen. 

This move led me directly to SSE through a head hunter. While I was already familiar with SSE as a domestic energy provider, in my research, I learned more about SSE’s commitments to energy transition and renewables that aligned with some of my values and goals.

I am passionate about the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly gender equality. To contribute towards that goal, I co-founded a Women in Energy network to support women in middle management (the first leak in the talent pipeline) and women seeking to transition from high-carbon to low-carbon professions in the energy sector.  

After researching SSE and speaking with what I found to be thoughtful individuals at the company, it was an easy decision to join SSE. 

When I joined during the pandemic, it was all remote working, so it was a little slower to forge all the very important connections. However, the support from the management and the human resource team during onboarding was phenomenal. 

I am excited by the multiple aspects of my role at SSE; I love the autonomy as I am highly motivated by ownership and accountability. My team and I are focused on strategic innovation and sustainability, which are close to my heart, so I feel very energised. The energy sector is at an inflection point, and my role is evolving as we move through the transition. I am enjoying developing it, shaping it and letting it leverage all my many passions and strengths.

I have spent my entire career in the energy sector, where it’s not hard to be the only female in the room, let alone the only female of an ethnic minority background. Being the “only” has been my normal, and it has never dissuaded me. However, at SSE, it has been a breath of fresh air to be in meetings where sometimes, everyone is female. 

I think SSE is doing all the right things in reaching out to female talent – I would give us an eight out of ten.

Nonetheless, there is still work to do around diversity across the many parts of the sector, such as policy, culture and inclusion, but I am pleased we are heading in the right direction.

Regarding the UN sustainable development goals 5, 7 and 13 - SSE is putting its money where its mouth is and pushing the agenda, which makes me very proud.