A native of England, Paul Taylor has led an accomplished career in the fields of commissioning and oil and gas, steered by his passion for empowering people, inclusive approach toward his team, and strong work ethic. Equipped with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and two master’s degrees in management from Manchester University, he began as an assistant engineer and eventually rose to the position of overseeing offshore construction and commissioning, working as a commissioning manager for the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Additionally, he has worked as a consultant in the Manchester area, serving as an offshore manager for the British Sector of the North Sea. Afterward, he worked at the St. Fergus Gas Plant in Aberdeen, Scotland and with Chevron, Shell, and BP in Venezuela from 2008 to 2016—during which he successfully managed a project by speaking fluent Spanish. Since 2024, he has found further success as the senior commissioning manager at McDermott, a major oil and gas company and provider of engineering and construction solutions to the energy industry.

Reflecting on his career, Mr. Taylor is quick to acknowledge the importance of mentorship and seeking guidance from superiors, and attributes much of his success to his boss at BP Venezuela, Ricardo, whom he considers an exceptional person and inspiration. He has been immensely proud of commissioning activities for major projects, his ability to integrate modern techniques within the industry, and leading a team that translates engineering designs into commissioning deliverables. He’s currently in the process of preparing a construction project in China. As a testament to his impressive resume, he has accrued such accolades as a Performance Award for Exceptional Work Ethic and Results, a Project Completion Award by BP Venezuela, and an Award for a specific Horn Mountain West Expansion Project at Occidental Petroleum Corporation in 2022.

In addition to his primary responsibilities, Mr. Taylor sponsors several cancer charities throughout England and has been active as a rugby coach in Texas, Venezuela, and Trinidad.  Together with his wife, Milena, whom he met in Venezuela, he has four children.