A childhood sci-fan now shaping bp's software: Ahmed’s story

When Ahmed saw the movie Tron, the science fiction classic, as a child, he knew immediately that interacting with technology was his calling.

His career story is full of exciting experiences, from being a computer technician in Hawaii, to a security manager (thanks to his jiu jitsu blackbelt), to serving in the US military. But his journey with bp began when he returned to his childhood passion.

After completing his degree in computer science at the City University of New York, he attended a recruitment conference in Washington, D.C. with Medgar Evers College (MEC), a non-profit dedicated to helping students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with their career development.

It was there that he was approached by one of bp’s recruiters: “I told them I studied computer science and they scheduled an interview that very afternoon,” Ahmed recalls. “When I saw bp’s offices and the trading floor in Chicago, I could see myself working there. It was a bustling and exciting place, just like Chicago, a city that I loved.”

Ahmed joined the company as a junior developer and his first rotation was with bp trading & shipping’s (T&S) trading work bench. Today he develops software solutions so that T&S can work efficiently, save time, and deliver better solutions for bp customers.

Problem solving technology

At the core of Ahmed’s interest in software and the applications he develops, is understanding people and their needs.

He explains,
 

It still puts a smile on Ahmed’s face when he sees traders use applications he made as a junior developer. Right now, he is working on a project called ‘Flow’, which allows teams to see the life-cycle of a trading deal – from when it is first entered into bp systems, all the way through to when the contract is released.

Strength in diversity

Born in Mali, Ahmed travelled around the world in his youth because of his father’s job, making friends from every background imaginable. Even today his multicultural upbringing, full of West African flavours and global perspectives, has stayed with him.

Informed by his background, Ahmed knows that bringing different experiences, knowledge and cultures to the workplace enhances a team’s ability to problem solve. This understanding pushes him to share bp opportunities with his friends and those from other HBCUs because he knows the company would benefit so much from their perspectives.

Whilst there is always more to be done to promote diversity, not just at bp but also in the wider STEM sector, Ahmed is hopeful:

he explains,