Meet Daniel Nieto, one of our Senior Consultants and the new President of the Australian Latin American Young Professionals (ALAYP) — one of many non-profit professional development organisations.
One of the many things our Senior Consultant Daniel Nieto is passionate about is being involved in his professional communities.
He has long been part of the leadership teams of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPEYP) and Sustainable Engineering Society (SENG) and in April 2023 was appointed President of ALAYP.
“My goal in giving so much energy to these organisations is to help create a sense of community where people can collaborate and express themselves.”
Transitioning from petroleum engineering skills to renewable skills
Daniel has always been highly passionate about the energy industry and the work involved.
“The industry is fascinating in the sense that it is like an art to drill wells underground. It’s a complicated process to reach a sometimes-small target that is kilometres underground.”
From the beginning of his career, Daniel found his work the most rewarding when projects avoided negative impacts on people and the environment.
That’s when he decided to diversify his skills with a Master of Sustainable Energy at the University of Queensland.
The new qualification allowed him to learn more about the energy industry, broaden his knowledge and gain a better understanding of sustainability.
It also meant Daniel could evolve with the energy sector as it transitions to a larger market share for renewables.
Benefits of professional development and networking programs
Daniel has found that professional development and networking programs are vital for meeting new people and have provided him with the opportunity to schedule and create his own events.
“I like to create events that can provide new learning for attendees. Entering the professional sphere can be intimidating for young professionals and that experience is compounded when you are in a new country and working in a different culture and language.”
Daniel emphasises how organisations like ALAYP eases some of the anxieties facing new migrants about working in Australia, which is crucial to his involvement in the organisation.
“So many people come here with professional careers, years of experience overseas and is hard for them to find a job. I hope that through the events we do we can encourage them to dream big and reach their dream job.”
Daniel has also been working in SPEYP to do sustainably relevant topics that show how the industry can support the energy transition.
In SENG, a multi-disciplinary society within Engineers Australia, Daniel has been working to engage like-minded people to come together and discuss general topics.
