Your Severance Papers Are Your Credentials—Here's Why You're the Industry's Most Valuable Free Agents.

If you're reading this letter, you're likely holding severance papers that some might view as a professional setback. I'm writing to tell you something fundamentally different: those papers are not a mark of failure—they are credentials that prove you come from organizations that consistently outperformed their peers through superior execution and cultural excellence. You are not casualties of corporate restructuring; you are the industry's most valuable free agents, and the companies smart enough to recognize this will gain significant competitive advantages.

The data tells a story that every recruiter, hiring manager, and forward-thinking CEO should understand: Hess Corporation delivered a remarkable 94% stock return from 2022 to 2025, while ChampionX demonstrated consistent operational excellence in one of the most challenging service sectors.

These weren't accidents or lucky breaks—they were the direct result of the cultural excellence and execution capabilities that you helped create and embody. When companies with track records like these make workforce adjustments, they're not discarding weak performers; they're releasing proven winners into a market that desperately needs exactly what you bring to the table.

This letter serves multiple purposes: to reframe your current situation as the opportunity it truly represents, to provide you with data-driven evidence of your value in the marketplace, to offer practical guidance for your job search, and to send a clear message to recruiters and hiring managers about the exceptional talent that has just become available. Most importantly, it's to remind you that in an industry where 70-75% of mergers and acquisitions fail due to cultural misalignment, you represent the 25-30% that works—the cultural DNA that drives sustainable success.

The Performance That Proves Your Worth

Before we discuss your future opportunities, let's establish the empirical foundation that demonstrates your exceptional value in the marketplace. The numbers don't lie, and they tell a compelling story about the organizations you've been part of and the capabilities you've developed.

Hess Corporation: A Masterclass in Execution Excellence

During the three years from January 2022 to July 2025, Hess Corporation delivered a total return of 94%—a performance that didn't just exceed industry averages, it redefined what's possible in the energy sector. To put this achievement in perspective, Hess outperformed Exxon Mobil (75.13%), Shell (61.65%), and Chevron (30.25%) during the same period, despite being significantly smaller and having fewer resources than these industry giants.

This exceptional performance occurred during one of the most challenging periods in recent energy sector history, marked by unprecedented volatility, supply chain disruptions, regulatory uncertainty, and evolving investor expectations regarding ESG performance. The fact that Hess not only survived but thrived in this environment demonstrates execution capabilities that extend far beyond favorable asset positioning or market timing—it reflects systematic operational excellence and cultural strengths that you helped create and maintain.

The company's ability to consistently deliver superior returns while operating in some of the world's most challenging offshore environments, executing complex development projects, and navigating commodity market volatility suggests organizational capabilities that are both rare and valuable. These capabilities don't exist in corporate strategies or boardroom presentations—they exist in the people who execute them day after day, project after project, decision after decision. That's you.

ChampionX: Excellence in the Service Sector

ChampionX has demonstrated consistent operational excellence in the oilfield services sector, one of the most demanding and cyclical segments of the energy industry. The company's ability to maintain performance standards and operational efficiency in an environment characterized by rapid technological change, intense competition, and volatile demand cycles reflects the kind of execution-focused culture that creates sustainable competitive advantages.

Working in the oilfield services sector requires a unique combination of technical expertise, operational flexibility, and customer focus that few professionals master. The fact that you've succeeded in this environment while maintaining the high standards that ChampionX is known for demonstrates capabilities that are directly transferable to any organization that values operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

How this Creates Opportunities for You

The high failure rate of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the energy sector, creates a unique opportunity for professionals like you who come from high-performing organizations.

Here's why:

You Represent Proven Cultural Excellence

When 70-75% of mergers fail due to cultural misalignment, professionals who come from organizations with demonstrated cultural excellence become exceptionally valuable. Hess's return and ChampionX's consistent operational performance didn't happen by accident—they resulted from organizational cultures that prioritized execution, accountability, and continuous improvement. You've been immersed in these cultures, you understand how they work, and you can help other organizations develop similar capabilities.

Companies that are serious about avoiding the merger failure statistics need to hire people who have experienced what a successful organizational culture looks like. You've lived it, breathed it, and contributed to it. That experience is worth far more than any MBA or certification because it's based on real-world results rather than theoretical knowledge.

You Understand What Drives Performance

The energy sector is full of companies that look good on paper but struggle with execution. They have impressive assets, sophisticated strategies, and substantial resources, but they can't consistently translate these advantages into superior performance. The difference between companies that succeed and those that struggle isn't usually about what they have—it's about how effectively they execute.

You've worked in organizations that figured out how to execute consistently and effectively. You understand the systems, processes, and cultural elements that enable superior performance. More importantly, you've seen how these elements work together to create results that exceed what should be possible based on resources alone.

You Can Help Companies Avoid Costly Integration Mistakes

Given the high failure rate of mergers and acquisitions, companies are increasingly focused on improving their integration capabilities. However, most integration efforts are led by consultants who understand the theory but lack practical experience with what works. You bring something different: real-world experience with organizations that successfully maintained high performance standards while navigating complex operational challenges.

Your experience with Hess's exceptional performance during a period of industry volatility, or ChampionX's ability to maintain operational excellence in a demanding service environment, provides insights that can help other companies avoid the cultural pitfalls that destroy so much value in merger situations.

A Special Message to Recruiters and Hiring Managers

If you're a recruiter or hiring manager reading this letter, pay attention: you have access to a pool of talent that represents the top 25-30% of organizational performers in the energy sector. 

The Hess Factor: 94% Performance Speaks Volumes

When a company delivers 94% returns over three years in a volatile sector, that performance doesn't happen by accident. It results from thousands of daily decisions, executed by people who understand how to prioritize effectively, solve problems creatively, and deliver results consistently. The Hess professionals now available in the job market have been part of an organization that outperformed industry leaders like Exxon and Shell—not through luck or favorable market conditions, but through superior execution.

If you're hiring for positions that require:

• Strategic thinking and execution
• Performance under pressure
• Complex project management
• Stakeholder relationship management
• Operational excellence
• Cultural leadership

Then you should be actively recruiting Hess alumni. They've demonstrated these capabilities in one of the most demanding business environments imaginable, and they've done so while contributing to results that exceeded what most organizations achieve.

The ChampionX Advantage: Service Excellence in Action

ChampionX professionals bring a different but equally valuable set of capabilities. The oilfield services sector demands technical expertise, operational flexibility, customer focus, and the ability to perform under extreme pressure. Companies that succeed in this environment develop organizational capabilities that are directly transferable to any business that values operational excellence and customer satisfaction.

If you're looking for professionals who can:

• Deliver complex technical solutions
• Manage demanding customer relationships
• Operate efficiently in challenging environments
• Adapt quickly to changing market conditions
• Maintain safety and quality standards under pressure

Then ChampionX alumni should be at the top of your recruiting list. They've proven these capabilities in one of the most demanding sectors of the energy industry.