I contribute articles to Drilling Contractor, the official publication of the International Association of Drilling Contractors. My work can be read here: https://drillingcontractor.org/?s=Stephen+Forrester

Prior to my arrival, Gyrodata had little to no communications program, so I was brought on to help create and drive one. Milestones in achieving this included the following: building out a case study library, improving engagement on social media, increasing representation and visibility in industry publications, and approaching new media.I oversaw content development, technical writing, and all communications initiatives for company product lines, including gyroscopic wellbore surveying and gyro-while-drilling (spinning-mass and solid-state) technology and wireline (cased-hole and high-density tortuosity logging) technology. I also managed social media and all internal communication channels.- Built and maintained relationships with vendors, publishing, and sales teams at all industry magazines, meeting regularly to discuss editorial calendars, content, and exposure opportunities. - Developed communications plan and $50K budget proposal from the ground up, incorporating targeted mixture of industry editorials, technical papers, social media, and digital content to drive increased brand recognition in the marketplace.- Wrote and scheduled 26 articles across every major industry magazine in 2020.- Introduced the company to podcasting as a digital medium, recording 28 podcasts in 2020. - Worked with product line and engineering on the creation and publishing of more than 50 new case histories showcasing global successes. Case histories aided salesforce in customer interactions, led to new business opportunities, and engaged social media followers with the technical side of the business.

Managing a small team with two writers, I broadly oversaw strategy for and execution of content development for every business in the company from the corporate level.My duties were effectively the same as before, with broader ownership of a variety of tasks and greater input across the company. Additional responsibilities added in this role included the following:- With investor relations (IR) manager, oversaw all content development for quarterly earnings releases (business unit research, earnings scriptwriting, media outreach).- Regularly worked directly with CEO and CFO on speechwriting and executive presentations.- Managed all media visibility with PR initiatives, controlled flow of all editorials in industry magazines, and ensured continued representation.- Established relationships with nontraditional media for oil and gas to increase awareness and understanding of NOV's mission and the industry's purpose on a broader scale.- Further expanded knowledge of and work in new functional areas, including business strategy, market research, and podcasting.- Developed social media outreach programs aimed at creating ambassadors within NOV who promoted the brand and engaged audiences on a more personal level.- Developed strategic internal and external communications plans designed to reinforce NOV's core values, solidify the company's reputation in the marketplace, and ensure continued perception as a desirable employer in the oil and gas and technology spaces.- Managed development of content for and overall direction of a new company magazine.

In this expanded version of my previous role, I provided technical writing and marketing communications across all of NOV. My duties were broadly split into several major categories:Editorials- Developed and guided the company's entire editorial strategy, stewarding NOV’s presence in industry publications by securing article placements in magazines and authoring, coauthoring, and editing technical articles. - Strategically placed new product/technology announcements, coordinated interviews and participation in larger feature pieces, and built relationships with editors and publication leadership to ensure NOV's continued representation.Investor relations (IR)- Wrote and provided general review of various IR materials, including press releases, notable achievements featured in quarterly earnings release, and the script of the earnings call itself.- Assisted C-suite with speechwriting on a case-by-case basis.- Worked directly with executive and C-suite leadership to ensure messages capture NOV’s strengths as a company and advantageous market position.General writing/editing- With a team of two other writers, wrote and/or edited the company's marketing collateral, which included flyers, brochures, case histories, ads, specification sheets, animation scripts, and technical presentations. - When content existed, worked across functional groups to update older materials and align content with current brand and messaging standards.- When content did not exist, worked with marketing, sales, engineering, and leadership to craft compelling new messages that clearly present our value to customers, breaking down highly technical content into accessible language.

I occupied a role that combined technical writing and marketing communications, working in the Dynamic Drilling Solutions (DDS) business unit, which was a part of NOV's Wellbore Technologies segment. I assisted with conceptualization and development of marketing collateral for a wide variety of product lines, primarily those focused on data acquisition, information management, drilling applications, downhole sensors and systems, drilling performance software, and drilling optimization. I also collaborated with divisions across NOV to produce collateral concerning our innovative solutions in drilling automation (the eVolve™ Optimization Service) and managed pressure drilling (the MPowerD™ system).My primary responsibilities included:- Developing a comprehensive portfolio of case histories across product and service lines to detail local and global project successes.- Assisting with the creation of additional marketing materials, including flyers, brochures, technical specification sheets, sales aids, and presentations.- Assisting in providing general editorial oversight for all of DDS' externally published marketing collateral.- Acting as a liaison between marketing and product line groups to produce collateral that met document- and department-specific needs and requirements.- Assisting with the entire creative marketing process, including product naming and trademarking, branding strategy, and content creation.- Working with teammates to promote alignment of content and design, ensuring marketing deliverables were produced on-schedule and to the highest standards.- Assisting with writing and editing a business unit-specific newsletter, training catalogs, and other forms of internal digital communications.- Writing new product announcements and collaborating on technical papers to be used in industry publications and at relevant conferences, ensuring continued media representation.- Assisting in maintaining documentation history and revisioning practices.

I occupied a role combining aspects of technical writing, document control, and project coordination, and was involved in processing reports concerning inspections and certifications of the subsea blowout preventer (BOP) and all related drill-through equipment (DTE) of offshore assets for oil and gas companies worldwide. My primary responsibilities included the following:- Reviewing the various components of the final reports (Table of Contents, Recommendation Summary, ATP/SDP, Cover Letter, Project Summary, and Compliance documents such as the Well Compatibility Verification/Statement of Fact), verifying the accuracy of content and attachments with our global surveyors and our in-house technical staff in the DTE Center of Excellence.- Rewriting or rewording the reports as required to improve flow, readability, and ease of understanding, facilitating comprehension by both technical and non-technical readers.- Interfacing with surveyors and technical staff to discuss possible enhancements to the reports to ensure total client satisfaction. - Through multiple quality checks, conducting the final review of the project deliverable prior to its distribution to the client.- Tracking the project and providing support through the various phases of its life cycle.- Maintaining records of completed projects and filing all relevant documentation.Other duties included, but were not limited to:- Conducting orientations with new BOP surveyors to familiarize them with company policies and departmental purposes.- Implementing new and more efficient administrative software and business processes within the department.- Creating and updating training materials for overseas team members.- Coordinating our efforts to align all aspects of the business with LR's global rebranding initiative.

Via a University-sponsored initiative, I spent one semester fulfilling all duties of a salaried educator, including, but not limited to:- Creating and implementing educational curriculum, regularly incorporating technology.- Grading and editing student compositions.- Performing administrative duties such as maintaining records and student databases.- Serving as an outreach to local community and as an ambassador of the school. I also attended professional development seminars and liaised with all levels of staff to monitor my progress and to maintain an awareness of the educational landscape.