Using collaboration to enhance culture and performance
Collaboration is a key ingredient in many great success stories. At Cenovus Energy, our staff work on complex, multi-functional projects every day – all with the goal to energize the world to make people’s lives better – and it’s important to our corporate culture that we recognize these collaborative efforts.
Launched in 2022, the President’s Awards are the highest form of staff recognition we have at Cenovus, acknowledging teams and individuals who demonstrate our values through everyday actions and behaviours.
President’s Award recipients, Rene Wooldridge, Dennis Parsell and Eric Wireman were recognized for using collaboration to both improve our culture and expedite impressive results.
Do It right: Rene Wooldridge
Rene Wooldridge, ARORA (Atlantic Region Organizational Readiness and Assurance) Program Specialist, received our Do it right award for her outstanding leadership and commitment to our culture. Rene is known by her colleagues as someone who fosters a respectful and transparent environment for all employees. She leads by example, is authentic and passionate about making our company a reliable organization that lives and breathes our purpose and values.
“I was honored to receive a President’s Award for Do it right and very proud to represent the Atlantic Region,” says Rene. “I think these awards are special because they are nominated by peers and selected by management, so the recognition from both sides is valuable.”
Rene was nominated by Adam McGrath, Manager, Atlantic Health & Safety Deployed Assurance, Performance & Improvement, who praised her for her unwavering commitment to inclusivity and ensuring that everyone has a voice at the table.
“I truly try to do it right every day, whether it is by creating more energy in the room, bringing the right people together, or reaching out to a co-worker,” shares Rene. “The people at Cenovus are not just co-workers, they are friends, and our employee culture is a huge part of why I want to come to work every day.”
Do it together: Dennis Parsell and Eric Wireman
Dennis Parsell, Manager, Coordination & Economics, and Eric Wireman, Senior Manager, Area Operations, received our Do it together award for their help in setting an operational record at our Lima Refinery in Ohio while operating within our environmental and process safety limits and no physical changes to the refinery.
Dennis worked closely with our Lima Refinery’s Operations team, and Eric developed a plan with the Maintenance team to begin increasing throughput rates (how fast the refinery produces crude products) – eventually setting a new 30-day record. Thanks to Dennis and Eric’s leadership and the collaborative efforts of several teams at site, they were able to execute the milestone safely and in a way that will help teams sustain the throughput increase moving forward.
Dennis and Eric were nominated by Dean Hempfling, who commended them for their teamwork and cross-functional leadership.
“We nominated Dennis and Eric because they ensured this cross-functional work was a collaborative effort throughout the entire process,” shared Dean. “There was a lot of people involved in setting this record, and they both encouraged teamwork and really reached out to make sure all parties were involved and had alignment with how we went forward.”
“I was extremely honored and humbled to receive a 2022 President’s Award for the work and collaboration that our team in Lima put forth to achieve our goal,” says Eric. “It is amazing to work for a company that embodies the type of goals and values we can all live by, both at home and in the workplace.”
LAST UPDATED: FEBRUARY 2024