The following is part of IADC’s 85th anniversary campaign, “Many Stories, One Voice,” which aims to showcase the real human stories behind the drilling industry.
This story is from Thad Dunham, IADC Vice President, Government & Industry Affairs – Onshore
My first day with IADC was on April Fool’s Day in 2019. Three days prior, my soon-to-be boss Bob Warren invited me to the Hyatt downtown Houston on a Saturday morning. I received little instruction besides, “Be there at 7:30, wear a suit.”
Like any good future employee, I suited up and met Bob downtown. I had no idea what I was doing or what the meeting was about. We rode up the elevator with a few people I didn’t know, but I could sense they were important. I eventually noticed they were Congressmen from different states. Then, in walked US Senator Ted Cruz, who sat down across the table from us.
I had spent the past seven years working on drilling rigs in West Texas and had met very few, if any, elected officials in my life. As this was unfolding, I thought to myself, “What is happening right now?” The senator leaned back and began preaching to us about the great state of Texas, among other things. Afterwards, a shuttle took all of us to a power plant outside of Houston, where we learned how carbon was being captured at the plant and then injected into nearby wells to stimulate production. I thought, “Is this what Bob does? This is incredible.”
Two days later, I officially started my job. My office sits next to IADC’s breakroom, and I sometimes overhear conversations. One time I heard Bob sit down with a couple of coworkers at lunchtime. He asked them, “Can we pray?” Bob led them in a prayer, asked for blessings on their families, and proceeded with lunch as usual. At that moment, I realized this was not your average place of employment, and Bob was not your average boss. He continued to pray before each of the hundreds of meals I’ve had with him over the past six years. He never mentioned himself in the prayers, always the other people at the table. I’ve been very fortunate to work for some great people in my career, but working for Bob has been the highlight. I’ve learned countless things from him about the industry, but most importantly I’ve learned what it takes to be a servant leader.
From his time in Russia and Iran, to fighting blowouts in Kuwait, to being “born on a drilling rig,” there was never a lack of things to talk about. Bob’s career and mine are both examples of how this industry will take you to incredible places you’ve never dreamed of – if you will just say YES and go for it.
Bob Warren embodies everything I respect most about this industry — integrity, humility and an unwavering commitment to serving others. He’s shown me that true leadership isn’t about the title on your business card, but about how you treat the person sitting across the table from you. I’m honored to serve IADC’s members, and the lessons I’ve learned from working with Bob are ones I’ll carry with me for a lifetime.
