2024

Ann Janssen

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, EOG Resources

“I don’t think confidence means you’re not scared or you’re not worried about something, but that you work through it and you power through it.”

The meaning of a Power Woman. What’s important to you and what are the characteristics you want to exemplify in how you live your life?

A Power Woman to me is more than just work. A power woman to me is a woman who takes pride in who she is, who’s confident in who she is. But confidence is a very scary word. I think that we think that confidence means you’re not afraid of anything. And I think confidence sometimes means working through what you’re scared of to get to where you need to be. So I don’t think confidence means you’re not scared or you’re not worried about something, but that you work through it and you power through it. To get to the other side. So I think that’s really important. So coming full circle to what makes a powerful woman, I think it’s looking internally and saying, what do I have to give? What do I have to offer and what do I need to improve? So that I have something to give? But if you stay humble and believe you are always learning something, that’s, I think, what makes you powerful and gives you confidence and gets you through things.

Polarized societies in the EU and US today seem to threaten democracy, and the democratic values. What action can we take to bring the various fractious situations together?

Focus on something that you can do to make a difference. So I think to your question, I think the immediate reaction probably by most people in America is, ‘Oh, my one voice is not going to make a difference.’ But I think where you can make a difference is do grassroots [work] and start from the bottom, whether it’s within your family and just talking about things, educating your family, educating your friends. So I really think it’s about education. And so how can I do that? I’m in a position in my role that I can impact people not say who do you go vote for using the political divide right now? Who do you vote for? But let’s talk about why you feel so strongly this way, and then you can back it up and go, okay, what is the fragment or the section or the idea that you can make a powerful impact in.

With all of the different issues that one could face, from gun violence to child poverty, is there the pursuit of gender equality the most pressing in today’s world?

I think for me, it’s the homelessness. The homeless population has skyrocketed, certainly post-Covid. Covid wreaked havoc on the whole world and certainly wreaked havoc here. But I think that the number of people living on the street has increased enormously. And I think it’s got so many problems just in that the mental health issues that these people are experiencing that have them on the street, they don’t even know how to look and find help. I love the food programs they have in some of the states. I was just in Minnesota talking to my brother about how they feed all the children because they don’t even want to question, do you? Or don’t you get food at home? I am a big believer, though, in teaching someone to fish, don’t just feed them. You’re just feeding them the fish. Teach them the fish. So I think what we’re missing is what can we do to help the situation? It’s not just build more homeless shelters. It’s really how can we get these people off the street and back into functioning members of society? And what programs need to increase my taxes if it means you’re going to develop programs that helps these people grow. And because so much of it’s not their fault, you know, we talked about the house prices and the economy and how people in my daughter’s generation have to wait years to save enough money to buy a house versus when I was able to buy a house. So, I think that we can snowball this into 25 other issues. But you realize there’s a pressing need to figure out how to help these people move forward with their lives.

What do you think is the number one action, as a society, we can take towards empowering women and gender equality?

One of your questions was, why haven’t we seen a woman president? And I don’t know, I think we’re such an advanced society here in America, and we’ve made so many strides as women. The fact that we still feel, not we, but a lot of women feel very second class to men and they’re not worthy of things is sad to me. But I think we’re making advances. I think that the next generation of men are being raised by a generation of women who are teaching equality. And so, for example, our CEO’s much younger than the previous CEO. And he’s a huge advocate for women, and when I moved into my position as the first female executive at our company, I said, here’s some things I’d like to go do. And he goes, go do them. What can I do? What do you need? Do you need funds? Do you need my time? Do you need me to come in? … So I’d say education, but…. my husband’s that proverbial white male, and I still feel like I battle with him sometimes. I mean he’s an incredibly kind and generous, loving man, but there’s times he will talk, and all I hear is kind of a white male mentality. I don’t know the one thing we can do. I think that continuing to raise strong women will mean we’ll raise generations of strong men. And if those women are teaching their sons respect for women, for their wives, for their girlfriends, for their friends that are girls growing up, I think they’ll make a huge difference. So maybe it’s really the women raising those boys.

The whole female president thing. I don’t know why we don’t have a female president. I mean we’ve slipped so far back. We had a African-American president and I thought, god such headwinds. And we’re going in the right direction. And we’ve all seen what’s happened there. So I don’t think getting a woman in the White House or putting women in powerful positions gets rid of that gender inequality. I will say that yeah, it’s a start. I do think that women have made strides on the financial equality, working. It’s been huge. I don’t see it quite as much as I used to. I certainly don’t see it in job offers I put out to men or women. It’s never–are they a man or a woman? So I do think we’ve made great strides there. So I do think we’re getting closer. It sounds horrible, but the generations who grew up with ‘men are better than women’ are dying off. And so I do think that it’s women promoting women raising their sons to promote strong women.

Was there ever an encounter where you felt that you were blocked because of your gender, that you had to overcome or attempt to overcome?

That was back in the days where accountants carried big binders and we had trunks, and the men carry the trunks, and the women made the coffee. And I’ll never forget, it was my first job, literally my first job out of training. I thought I was going to save the whole world. Right? And there’s two first year people. It was myself and a young man. Nice young man. I’ll never forget his name was Matt. And, you know, Matt, you get the truck and Ann go make the coffee. And I’m not gonna lie, I never drank coffee in my life. I don’t like coffee. And I’m like, I don’t even know how to make it. If you come to my house, I couldn’t make you coffee. I could drive you to Starbucks, and I’d be happy to buy it for you. But yeah, I couldn’t even. And I really mean that. I don’t know that I can make it, but I remember it came time for something, and the gentleman’s name was Tanner. And Tanner goes well Ann you need to do that [make coffee] because you’re a woman. And I said, no, I’m a first year associate, and Matt’s a first year associate. So we should take turns doing this. And he goes, no, you’re a woman and you need to do this. That’s a woman’s role. And Tanner’s role is to carry the trunks around. And I remember going home and–I’m on my second marriage, but it was my first marriage–and telling my husband that. And he’s like, oh, don’t do anything. Don’t say anything. And I’m like, no, that’s not right. I remember I told my managing supervisor and she goes, we’re on it. And you know, it’s not the first time he did that or said it. And, they put him in a different role. They actually demoted him and I just was the first person to really speak up and say I wanted to file a complaint. That was an interesting moment in my life.

And then I remember probably about 25 years ago, right before I moved to the company I’m at, I worked for Enron, and I remember traveling on a trip, and I was with, unfortunately, all the people who are no longer with us and/or went to prison and, just the demeaning way they talked about women. I was one of only two women. The other woman was a much higher ranking female. And she made comments to the effect “Well, I had to sleep with certain people to get to where I wanted to be, but now that I’m there, I can see it’s all worth it.” And I remember sitting in this van as a lower level person. I wasn’t in a management role at that time and thought, oh my God, I’m embarrassed to be a female sitting with another female saying these things. And she wore it as a badge of honor, not a badge of shame. And that really frustrated me because I viewed it as you not only did that, but you are laughing about it and you’re joking about it. And do you go home at night and feel bad about it? Is it kind of the what you felt you had to do or is that who you really are? I remember thinking, wow, I don’t want to say live with yourself, that’s not fair. We’re all put in situations we don’t know what happens, but I didn’t like her bragging about it or laughing it off. And she didn’t do it in a way, to me that came across as, oh, ha ha with a kind of humility. It was truly she’s wearing it as a badge of honor. And I thought, wow, what a shame. You have another woman sitting in the vehicle and instead of me admiring you, I’m thinking less of you as a human being because you felt you had to do that, not so much what she did, but how she talked about it.

There are many studies that support the assumption and assertions that female presence in the boardroom increases the bottom line and leads to a healthier work environment—hard facts that can validate that. But what can we do to continue to support and enhance the growth of the presence of women in high profile positions?

I think it’s giving them the opportunity to speak up and shine and be put in situations that they can show what they’re capable of doing. And I don’t mean put them in a job that shows them. I mean, put them in front of the people who are making those decisions. I think that’s something we as a company I’m really proud of. You walk in the door and you have a seat at the table. But I think you need to put them in front, have them be doing presentations in front of your board, having them do presentations for the upper echelons of management, I don’t think it needs to be just a report. I think we need to be better about putting people in front of people. And maybe it’s not doing a presentation. Maybe it’s inviting them to an event where they’re mingling. Let them see what women are capable of. People need to see who they are and understand what they’re capable of doing and bringing. And I think that’s how you break through the barriers of ‘women can’t do it.’

What do you feel was the defining moment or experience in your life that led you where you are today?

God, I hate to use this as my answer, but I think it’s my divorce. It had nothing to do with the event of being divorced, but the moment where I realized I had to take care of myself. And what I mean by that, I had my daughter and I took care of her, but you grow up and you have mom and dad, not just dad, mom and dad. It’s a defining moment for me on a personal level, because I really think that’s when I had to go inside myself. And it wasn’t just about someone else doing something or being able to use someone to rely on. You know, all of a sudden it became, I’m responsible for my actions, my decisions, my choices are going to lead me down whatever path–you can’t blame it on anyone. I can’t rely on anyone. It’s me. And that’s some real soul searching.

Tell me one of the best pieces of advice that you’ve ever been given?

My dad used to say, trust your gut, I love that. Sometimes you fight your instinct so hard and you don’t need to, if something doesn’t feel right, trust your gut.

Tell me your best and favorite book to read. Fiction, nonfiction. What is it?

My favorite book to read is anything Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice is my favorite, but I love her. I love what she stood for at a time when women were–and it’s not even about women. I just love that she had this voice that still resonates today. If you put anything in front of me from Agatha Christie up to any current author, I’m going to love it. So anything murder mystery. But Jane Austen is hands down my favorite read.

What do you value most in friends?

I value sincerity. I like genuine people. You won’t always like everyone, even the people you love the most of the world, you don’t always like them. But I want them to be true to who they are. So I value being a genuine human being. I value kindness. I don’t want it to always be one sided, that I’m always being the better friend for them. Sometimes they need to be the better friend for you.

What is the trait that you most found and find uncomfortable in yourself and others?

I have a very quick temper. I always say the traits you don’t like, the traits you like the least in yourself, are the traits that bother you in others. So those are the things you’re picky about other people, right? I cut people off. That’s my worst trait. If you’re talking to me, you’ll get 80% of your question in and I want to start answering because I feel I got to tell her. But I do have a quick temper. I’m a very emotional person. I live by emotion, which can be absolutely fantastic, absolutely horrible. I wish I had listened to the whole thing. I’m listening to you, but I’m ready to start telling you how I feel! So all that stuff we talked about, teaching other people and hearing about people. I need to be better at listening.