Gabriela (Gabby) Boersner’s career sits at the intersection of success and determination, where she’s been able to merge her law background in Venezuela with her law experience in the U.S. She took the wheel with her drive fueling her way to her current position as vice president and general counsel, exploration and production of Hess Corporation, which has corporate headquarters in New York, NY and a global operations center in Houston, TX.

“I’ve spent my career in the oil and gas industry, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on a broad range of issues,” notes Boersner.

Her journey began with attending Law School in Caracas, Venezuela and subsequently attending the University of Texas at Austin Law School where she earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.).

“While in Law School in Caracas, I clerked in the Caracas offices of an American law firm, and later practiced as a lawyer with the local office of a Canadian law firm,” she shares.

“Most of our clients were American companies, and it became clear to me I needed to come to school in the U.S. if I was ever going to be able to navigate the divide between common law and civil law, U.S. business culture and Latin culture, etc.”

After finishing her LL.M., Boersner says “a great job opportunity materialized with ExxonMobil in Houston, TX,” leading her to spend more than 10 years there.

“It was a great experience,” says Boersner, who was appointed to her current position at Hess in July 2017.

“I’ve now been with Hess for almost seven years. These past few years have been years of intense professional and personal growth, and I’m so thankful for all of the opportunities that have been presented to me.”

As she’s navigated her career path, Boersner has learned a lot. “But probably the most surprising lesson has been that we have more control over our career and life in general that we want to believe,” she reveals.

“Luck, circumstance and timing account for some, but a lot in our career and life depends on drive, understanding ourselves and voicing our needs, setting appropriate boundaries and building trusted relationships,” Boersner believes.

As a leader at Hess, she also believes that that leadership is about helping others shine, and that it’s also about taking responsibility for your own well-being.

Her firm belief guides her, as she guides her team to further success. Which is why Boersner’s main objective for the coming year is “to identify and take advantages of opportunities to continue to develop leadership and team work within my team - the concepts are intertwined.”

For those young Hispanic professionals about to embark on their own career journey, Boersner urges them to find a mentor(s), or one or more people at work who they admire and respect.

“Think about why you admire and respect that person, and consciously try to emulate those traits. You don’t have to completely change whom you are to do this,” she advises, adding, “Be succinct and direct in business discussions.”

And she offers one final key piece of counsel: “Sit at the table and speak up. Your perspective is valuable and important.”

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