Centurion Case Study

“This assignment is the perfect example of how Vario can work so well for both client and Vario.”

– Roger Connon, Head of Oil and Gas for Vario Legal

The Centurion Group is an international leader in the supply of critical rental, infrastructure and support services to the energy industries. With a footprint across the globe, Centurion has grown through a large number of acquisitions over the past ten years.
Suzanne Park, the GC for Centurion Group had recently joined the organisation and discovered a number of situations requiring her to rationalise the contracting regime, procedures and the risk register across the group. However, Suzanne didn’t have plans to recruit a permanent employee and without deeper investigation she was unsure how much work was actually required.

Steps taken

As a former Vario herself Suzanne understood Vario’s business model and how Vario had supported her, when she had worked as a freelancer. Suzanne required someone available at short notice, with an understanding of the oil and gas sector. She also needed an individual who would be keen to work on a fairly limited scope of quite specific duties and who would accept the assignment without a clear understanding of how long they would be required for. Suzanne discussed her requirement with Vario, which she hoped to fulfil immediately. Vario had previously built a bench of skilled lawyers in the region to cover the anticipated requirements of locally based clients. Jennifer Rose was one such Vario.

Jennifer had completed her degree and diploma before joining an oil services company and working there for three years until 2014. At this point, Jennifer had chosen to prioritise her family and had taken some time off to raise her children. However, five years down the line, Jennifer was keen to return to work. She was unsure whether her skills and experience would be as relevant after a lengthy gap away from work.

The idea of taking this freelance assignment appealed greatly to Jennifer. With the scope of work being somewhat limited in nature it would provide Jennifer with her first steps back into a legal career, allowing her to rebuild confidence. She was also comfortable with the ambiguity around the length of assignment. As she wasn’t currently working, she felt that even a short assignment would be beneficial. Finally, Jennifer was keen to not work on a full-time basis; the demands of a legal career and being a parent are stretching. Jennifer’s ideal situation was one which is less than full-time, which suited Centurion’s needs too.

Results

Having interviewed two people presented by Vario, Centurion was delighted to offer Jennifer. Suzanne felt that she had the right background and would fit the culture of the team. Furthermore Jennifer’s current situation fitted the workload requirements. Jennifer started on three days per week for an initial three month trial period. Centurion is delighted with her work and output since joining and Jennifer is enjoying working again after a five year hiatus. They are now in discussion about an extension to Jennifer’s assignment.

“Jennifer has been a fantastic help and done very well given her limited experience and knowledge however we are at a stage where we need someone with that contracts background and experience.”
– Suzanne Park, GC for Centurion