Baker Hughes Opens Ombuds Office

The Fortune 200, oilfield services company headquartered in North Houston, Texas opened an Organizational Ombuds Office (“o3”) in September to serve employees in the U.S., and Trinidad and Tobago. The o3 team is led by Principal Ombuds Melanie Lewis, and includes Bonnie Bonnivier, Ombuds; Arianna Gazis, coordinator; and Michael Mayer, information specialist.

According to a company announcement, Baker Hughes chose to create the o3 from its ongoing interest in creating the best possible workplace and employee experience. To customize the ombuds concept into the o3, more than 100 Baker Hughes employees took part in the consideration, design, and implementation. Some specialized aspects built into the o3 design include:

• An information specialist position to augment measurement of the o3’s contributions; 
• A requirement in the Charter to evaluate program performance on a regular basis; and 
• An Ombuds Governance Committee, which is a diverse cross-functional body that supports and monitors the o3 and which includes at-large nominations to ensure diversity of level and function in o3 oversight. 

The o3 Charter, written in accord with the International Ombudsman Association’s Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, establishes the o3 Mission to offer independent, neutral, informal, and confidential assistance to safely raise and promptly help address concerns and issues.  The company plans to extend coverage to include Canadian employees in 2013.

Lewis previously was the Director of Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Solutions Program, a dispute resolution program and Ombuds office. She graduated from Tulane University, earned her MBA from Kennesaw State University, and is completing a JD at the South Texas College of Law in Houston. (LinkedIn.)

Bonnivier has been employed in a variety of positions at Baker Hughes since 1987.  Most recently, she was the Senior Director of Health, Safety and Evironment & Regulatory Affairs of the Global Products & Services division. She graduated from Butler University. (LinkedIn.)

Related posts: IOA Presentation on Ombuds Evaluation; Baker Hughes to Create Ombuds Program; Job Postings: Houston, Calgary.