Cindy A. Yeilding (born May 23, 1960) is an American geologist from Houston, Texas. Yeilding was previously Senior Vice President of British Petroleum, America. She was formerly Vice President of exploration technology and assurance, and has held various other positions at BP in oil and gas, exploration of the Gulf of Mexico and geoscience.
Cindy Ann Yeilding was born on May 23, 1960. When she was a young child, her mother would take her to hunt for fossils and rocks. This promoted her love for geology. Yeilding was recognized for her mathematical talent during her high school years. At university, she initially pursued a math degree, although her true passions were art history and architecture. Eventually, she switched to a geology major, which she saw as "the perfect melding of art and science". She earned a bachelor's degree in Geology and Earth Sciences from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, as well as a master's degree of science in geology from the University of North Carolina.
Yeilding initially joined Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio), an American oil company, as a summer intern. In 1985, after she completed her master's degree in geology, the company hired her as an exploration geologist and a carbonate specialist. During this period, Yeilding also contributed to academia: she delivered short lectures to institutions such as American Association of Petroleum, assisted in developing courses, and published papers on geology. Yeilding has delivered presentations to various esteemed societies as well. Shortly after this she became an operations geologist and oversaw off shore-geologic activities. In 1987, Sohio was bought by British Petroleum (BP). Throughout her life, she has published over 100 articles on geoscience, CCUS, and energy transition.
Yeilding's experience working offshore led her to working in various basins globally. Most notably, she was an influential figure in the exploration and appraisal of the Gulf of Mexico which led to her becoming Chief Geoscientist. Later, she held the position of Research and Development Manager and worked her way up to overall Vice President for BP. During her time at BP, Yeilding lead several exploration teams around the world, primarily in Venezuela and the Gulf of Mexico. Her work during the deepwater explorations in the Gulf of Mexico eventually lead to the development of BP's subsidiary, BPX&P. She held the positions of Director, Vice President, and Executive Board Committee member at BPX&P. She was formerly Vice President of exploration technology and assurance, and has held various other positions at BP in oil and gas, and geoscience.
In 2020, Yeilding was the chairperson for a study on capturing, using, and storing carbon performed by the National Petroleum Council.
Yeilding was previously a part of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) Board of Directors, though she is no longer a contemporary member.
Yeilding has received several awards and honours in recognition of her work. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) named her a Distinguished Lecturer and a "Legend of Exploration" in 2003. She appeared in the Houston Business Journal's "2016 Women in Energy Leadership", Houston's Top 15 Business Women, and Houston's 50 Most influential Women of 2016. In 2017, she was granted the Manufacturing Institutes STEP Award for women. STEP stands for science, technology, engineering, and production. She has also won Hart Energy's "25 Most Influential Women in Energy" award in 2020. Additionally, Hart Energy, an American publishing company, welcomed Yeilding into their Hall of Fame series that recognizes people with extensive influence on the energy sector.
Yeilding has stated that she faced difficulties as a geologist working in engineering industries. In the early stages of her career, male engineers working on oil rigs would disregard Yeilding and assume she did not understand drilling, because she was a geologist and not an oil rig engineer. Despite this, she persevered and honed relationships with the crew that allowed them to realize how valuable she was to the team, as well as the showing the engineers the capability of professions to intersect. Yeilding learned a lot of lessons while being in the petroleum industry, one being that "it isn't race or gender that defines us: it is our brains". She stated that by using the "Bigger Brain", the amalgamation of everyone's experiences, insights, and knowledge, we can solve complex issues and make the most of our circumstances.
Yeilding is a founder of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Women's Committee. She launched the OTC Women's networking committee and the High School Energy Challenge. Both initiatives are not for profit.
Yeilding is on the leadership council for BP's Million Women Mentors and is an executive sponsor for BP Women's Network. She contributes to BP's programs to support young women aspiring to enter careers in STEM. The company conducts high school outreach programs that bring science and engineering students to shadow Yeilding and her colleagues. They also provide mentorship for university level women. BP sponsors âÂÂtake your child to work dayâ for elementary and high school students to learn from top scientists and engineers who work at BP.
Yeilding has published numerous research works.
Yeilding is married and has two children. Sources occasionally misspell her surname as "Yielding".