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Nick Spencer
October 15, 1958 - April 7, 2020
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2020-05-21 22:42:14 View / Comment (0)Dotch Phillips
Nick with Olympic Long Jump record holder, Bob Beamon.
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2020-05-21 22:43:03 View / Comment (0)Dotch Phillips
Nick in his blues at our annual Book Bag Event for East Chicago students
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2020-05-20 12:28:28 View / Comment (0)
mark taylor
Nick recruited me into bp in 2010 to join WRMP and gave me huge support, capacity and accountability to deliver the different components of the project working within the project team and alongside the working business unit teams for each production area. WRMP stands out for me as the highlight of my career and Nick's personal contribution, leadership and calm shone through every day and without which the project could not have been delivered. I will forever remember your calmness and steely resolve with accompanying sense of humour and fun. You are sadly missed.
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2020-05-17 03:31:02 View / Comment (0)
John Finnegan
It was my pleasure to know and work for Nick. From our time at the Lake Charles Refinery to Ponca City to Humber, Nick was the kind of leader everyone would want to work for. If you did get to work for Nick, he would be your teacher, mentor and friend. It was his kindness that I remember most.
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2020-05-13 10:32:56 View / Comment (0)Rick Johnson
Working for Nick was definitely a highlight of my career. Although we did not always have the best of topics to deal with from a business perspective, the way Nick dealt with such topics was done with the utmost of integrity and authenticity. He loved to solve problems and for teams to work together to do so. He was a true gentlemen on and off the business stage. His cups of tea to solve problems were legendary as was his humour. I am so thankful that I had the pleasure of working for and with him. He was always very keen to ensure that others were properly recognised for the work they did for the company. I share a picture from when we celebrated Nick's completion of the Gelsenkirchen role. We cooked together and Nick was in charge of the chocolate cake. Nick loved to work and I remember this evening that the "working" on cooking was as much fun as the meal. That's what it was like for me working for Nick. You simply enjoyed it. I will miss so much from Nick and I am so thankful for all that he gave me.
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2020-05-11 11:57:02 View / Comment (0)
Thierry Rondeau
I had the great pleasure and privilege to work alongside Nick for ca. 7 years both in the US and in Europe. There have been many challenges and I could experience, appreciate and share first hand his high standard human values as well as his deep refining knowledge, some of which was actually tested under immense business imperatives and stress. This was always with immense respect I could observe his way of tackling those challenges. I would like to pay tribute to the man and the professional I had the great chance to know and share experiences. This is clearly a huge loss for his family and close friends but also to the much larger community of colleagues and acquaintances who, like myself, knew him and and shared some personal and professional moments of life ! My deep personal thoughts to his family
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2020-05-10 21:22:22 View / Comment (0)Andrea Soldat
I knew Nick from leadership team and worked with him during meetings or for making videos. I got him much better to know when I was working in Gelsenkirchen refinery in 2018 to support the safety communications (the picture was taken in one of Gelsenkirchen's leadership team, when he awarded the Bellieve in Zero award to a team). He was a role model for many. He was calm and quiet but you could always see and feel this energy and passion in conversations. Safety and operation were in this DNA and he helped us to bring safety to the attention of our people. When I heard this new my heart was broken; he will nevertheless stay in my heart and my thoughts and compassion go to his wife and sons. May he rest in peace.
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2020-05-08 20:35:55 View / Comment (0)I had the honor to work with Nick very closely at the Whiting Refinery. As I reflect, the word that comes to me to describe Nick is "serious." No matter the topic, Nick was always sincere and earnest in his consideration, actions and conversation. If something mattered to you, it mattered to him. Nick simply and authentically cared about people. He championed, valued, respected and brought together our diversity at a collective and individual level. This photo is from the 2011 Whiting Veterans Day ceremony. I will miss you Nick. My deepest condolences to Nick's family and friends.
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2020-05-05 10:27:40 View / Comment (0)
Fawaz Bitar
I worked with Nick during the development of the Leading in Operations programme. What became immediately clear is Nick's passion for Operations and development of people. Nick's deep operational knowledge coupled with his commitment for learning has left a program which will benefit people and BP for decades to come. His gentle and kind approach will be remembered. We will miss you Nick and you shall forever be in our hearts.
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2020-05-04 17:49:24 View / Comment (0)
Nick and I worked closely over the last three years to help to create the Leading in Operations program. During this time, I learned of Nick's passion for people and operations. When we first started sharing our future vision of operations in bp, Nick just lit up. I loved seeing the picture of the two of us on this page. That picture captures Nick so well as it has him sharing his views of how we can make operations better in bp. While Nick was typically pretty quiet, these conversations always had him talking. His vision and work in operations through Leading in Operations will continue to make a difference for years. Most importantly, I will miss Nick as a friend. We had numerous one-on-one chats over the last couple of years. He was a good friend and I respected him hugely. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
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2020-05-04 16:51:03 View / Comment (0)Emilio Marin
This is how I will remember Nick always, being in the field. Out there he enjoyed every minute, and you could feel that he was in his comfort zone... One day, walking with him in the FCC pump alley of BP Rotterdam Refinery he went to see one of the pumps that was not in service inspecting and touching everything to how good was maintained... "Emilio, that drain is not in good state, how often your operations team review it?"... , that was the level of detail that Nick was able to execute when he was in the field... He liked to ask all the heavy technical questions, without embarrassing people. I always had to remind him that was the time to go back to the office to keep on the QPR or he would arrive late to the airport... Many of you already explained how good was in talking to the people and asking the right questions... he was sensible and knowledgeable at the same time. I really feel that a really big part of his life was in refining and in a refinery and he was really happy being in one of them, so I know for sure that Nick's life was a happy one. Thanks Nick for his friendship and for caring for me and for all of us.
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2020-05-04 12:19:15 View / Comment (0)Rick Graves
I had the great pleasure of working with Nick in the development of our Operational Leaders across the company. It was very clear that Nick was passionate about investing in our front line leaders. Nick spent many hours sharing his views on what makes a good operational leader, such as care, trust and really knowing your people. Having clear understanding of the key operational risks is one area that Nick role modelled by example. Nick led several sessions with the cadres on "what was on their mind" and he really did want to know the good and the bad, he ensured it was a safe place for people to be open and honest. Nick has left a legacy of what our expectations are of a good Operational Leader and will benefit leaders long into the future.
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2020-05-04 09:45:15 View / Comment (0)
I never worked directly for Nick but had the pleasure of getting to know him when he came into the Global Refining VP role. I echo what everyone has said about Nick. He was a kind and thoughtful person with great knowledge and experience of the refining industry. He showed interest in every topic, was a good listener and would be happy to share his experience in a constructive way. I bumped into him on one of his last days in the office and we had a lovely conversation. I thanked him for everything he had done for refining and for all of us. We had a laugh, talked about what he would do next and agreed to stay in touch. I will miss him and am so sorry for all the family, my thoughts are with you all.
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2020-05-03 17:36:47 View / Comment (0)Chloe Sweet
Nick was both technically and operationally brilliant, which I very much admired. However, what I loved most was his passion for people and plant. Nick loved to spent time with people --- getting to know them personally, understanding what they were proud of and where they were struggling, identifying risks hidden deeply in the details, and ultimately committing to how he could help them. And he did --- he valued his commitments and he helped people develop and be better. His authenticity and dedication to doing the right thing were part of the every-day Nick --- defining the leader and the man he was. This is one of my favorite pictures of Nick --- we were in Gelsenkirchen and Nick had been invited to participate in an awareness session led by the Youth and apprentice organization and trainees, making a commitment against racism. Nick was keen to make his commitment as well. I love that his smile starts in his eyes…. Nick was my mentor, but more importantly, Nick was my friend. I am so thankful for the time I was able to spend with him as his EA --- learning from him, reflecting with him over a bottle of red wine, or of course, debating with him on which refinery unit was better (our inside joke was that he loved cokers, but I loved hydrotreaters and he’d give me an unexpected jab about it regularly). Eve, Richard, Robert, and others in Nick’s beloved family, I send my condolences and my love to you. Nick was an incredible man. I will always hold him, and you, in my heart and I miss him dearly.
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2020-05-02 06:46:54 View / Comment (0)Reggie Waddell
I worked with Nick at the Whiting Refinery during one of the most significant periods of change that the venerable Whiting Refinery had seen. Nick had a way of making complex things simple and empowering the team. His deep knowledge of Refining was impressive, and I was honored to learn from him. His "Do it Safe and Right First Time" is a mantra that I still use today. Nick was a calm and thoughtful leader that truly cared about his people. I have a handwritten note that Nick wrote to me in 2012, and I proudly display it in my office. I often re-read that note before making decisions to remind me of things to consider. My sincere condolences are with Eve, Robert, and Richard during this difficult time.
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2020-05-02 00:02:23 View / Comment (0)
Beata Rodriguez
I have very fond memories of Nick at the Whiting refinery. One day, my Azerbaijani colleague organized a lunch get-together for all of the international people who worked at the refinery. We called ourselves The International Club. Naturally, we thought about Nick, but we were very hesitant to invite him, since he was a Very Important Person. Finally, we decided to invite him, but we were almost certain that he would decline the invitation being triple booked for other important meetings. To our huge surprise, Nick did accept the invitation and showed up! We had a very lovely lunch at Keith’s Grill, the best restaurant in town, with a dozen members of The International Club from all continents of the globe. During lunch, Nick quickly found a common ground with us and had a wonderful conversation, full of laughter, funny stories, and fond memories. The lunch was so memorable that I still remember what meal he had ordered and what he had for desert! To our surprise, Nick also picked up the tab for all of us. But the best part was how Nick made us all feel: welcomed, comfortable, appreciated, and united, despite our ethnic differences. Rest in peace, Nick! Beata Rodriguez
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2020-05-01 08:13:04 View / Comment (0)
Todd Mundorff
As Nick’s first EA, I had the privilege of accompanying him on his early trips to the various refineries around the globe. I have fond memories of our first trip to Australia and during those flights, dinners, car rides etc, Nick would talk about his experiences running refineries which gave me great insight into the depth and scope of his expertise. However, what struck me was his empathy and care for the people he had worked with both past and present. He always made people around him feel comfortable which enabled them to have more open and honest conversations. It was clear from the start that Nick was sincerely interested in helping others learn from his experiences which I always appreciated.
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2020-04-30 22:47:14 View / Comment (0)
John Pults
I worked with Nick over the past decade and he was my boss for a short time at Gelsenkirchen. For me, Nick was the most principle-centered leader I have ever encountered. He knew the principles by which he held most dear, and would not compromise these, regardless of the pressure of the situation. I also admired that he always tried to view his decisions from the perspective of operators and others working in the plant every day. Their safety and well-being was truly his greatest concern, and his tireless work in BP really demonstrated this over the years. I learned a great deal from Nick and will greatly miss him.
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2020-04-30 22:42:28 View / Comment (0)
Cheryl McKinney
I have had the pleasure to work with Nick for many years. His dry wit and steady approach were his trademarks and made working with him fun. He had a deep appreciation of the business and was happy to listen. One of my fond memories was a development discussion that he and I shared about an employee that I was mentoring. Nick was really supported the development of our teams and was willing to spend time with them. He agreed to take some time for the individual, who shared with me later his surprise and real joy that he had been able to talk to Nick about his development. He will be missed.
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2020-04-30 20:19:53 View / Comment (0)
Allan Giumelli
I still remember the very first time I "met" Nick. It was via video for my interview to be his assistant, and I was running late due to a traffic jam on the freeway on the way into work. I scrambled into the room with barely a minute to spare, the IT guy left me a remote with a hasty explanation on how to move the camera which I completely missed as I was focused on trying to get calm enough for the biggest interview of my career and just as he left the room, Nick appeared on the screen. I remember feeling the usual nerves go away very quickly as Nick quickly made me feel comfortable and relaxed and I proceeded with the interview. It was quite the shock to me when about 10 minutes in, Nick pointed out that he could only see the top of my head! I of course could not move the camera, so we conducted the remainder of the interview that way. I was of course completely embarrassed but as was his nature, Nick did not let that bother him and made me feel at ease. Over the next two and half years I spent a lot of time with Nick. At meetings watching him weighing up hugely important decisions, on site engaging and learning about his colleagues (his favorite place to be in a work setting) and of course in bars, airports, cars just talking about anything to pass the time. Several things became apparent to me over the course of our time together. Firstly, he cared so much about the people in his life. He had an empathy that immediately made people feel they could talk to him and he cared about them. Secondly, he had a razor sharp wit. My all time favorite Nick story was him getting “caught” stealing English Breakfast Tea from the British Airways lounge at Heathrow. When I called him out on it, he laughed but several weeks later when we were back in the lounge, he feigned a phone call, dumped 20 tea bags in front of me and left in the hope I would also be caught in the “Great British Airways Tea Sting”. Fortunately for me I escaped without being caught and fortunately for him, I took the 20 bags of tea with us! Finally, he loved working in refining. His knowledge and passion of the industry was second to none, and he was an inspiration to work for and it was a privilege to learn from him. I remember so many people commenting to me how lucky I was to work so closely with him and of course, they were right. Working with Nick was career defining for me, and it is no stretch to say that him deciding to hire me was one of the major “sliding doors” moments in my families life. In my last conversation with him at the end of March, I thanked him for taking a risk on me, being so generous with his time and his knowledge and for always making me feel like a valued part of the team. His response: “Oh, it wasn’t a risk at all Allan”. How he could work that out while only seeing the top of my head is beyond me. Eve, Richard and Robert, our heartfelt condolences from myself, Bec and Harry. The world has lost a truly good person, and he is missed by many, but I am sure none more that you.
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2020-04-30 18:35:20 View / Comment (0)
Amber Russell
It was always a personal goal of mine to break Nick out of his normal calm and focused demeanor by making him laugh. Nick had such a witty sense of humor, but bringing out a deep belly laugh was a challenge. You knew if the laugh was accompanied by a gleam in his eye, it was truly funny! I will miss that twinkle.
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2020-04-30 18:17:40 View / Comment (0)Jan Sithole
Attending SAPREF Board GO & See meeting with Chloe. I enjoyed the rich technical moments with Nick when challenging SAPREF and during our QPRs. One thing about Nick is that he had a poker face, you never know as you present if you're going in the right direction or not. I learned to calibrate myself whenever he folds his hands and leans against the chair. Nick was genuine leader who cared about people on a personal level beyond the work and was always available to provide support.
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2020-04-30 17:21:24 View / Comment (0)
Lydia Velthuis
I have had the honor to work with Nick as his HR Director for Global Refining in BP. Lot’s of memories from all the visits and the meetings we had at the refineries during QPR’s, People Sessions and Refinery Managers meetings. While discussions could be tough sometimes, I always admired his calm confidence, that was founded in a strong belief of what he felt was the right thing to do. His values, his ethics, his trust in the people around him, the way he supported people in tough times (me included), his deep knowledge of the refinery business, his passion for safety, the way he balanced all the relationships with stakeholders, his focus on increasing diversity, I can go on and on mentioning everything I admired in him. And during our waiting at airports and traveling by car I also got to know his enormous resilience, his ability to adjust and his passion that made him go on and on, even during the toughest times. My heart goes out to his boys and to Eve. During our many trips he spoke always so loving about them. And to Nicky, who assisted him and took care of him at work. My heartfelt condolences to all of you.
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2020-04-30 17:19:05 View / Comment (0)
Matt Hager
I first met Nick in 2010 when starting design for the FNA integrated business planning process. Nick had a lot going on with WRMP entering late stages of build and start-up in addition to the daily operations of the site. Nick was generous with his time and calm under pressure as we implemented some appreciable business process changes while physical plant changes were already underway; Nick certainly embraced the "perform while we transform" attitude at that time. Through the 10 years I've known Nick only periodically through a few activities, but he was always caring and supportive; I think he left many of us with great examples to uphold in how we behave and interact as human beings.
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2020-04-30 17:13:39 View / Comment (0)This was at the ESA LT - visit to SA last year January. And we took them for a cultural dinner. Nick was learning the Zulu dance moves which was impressive to watch. Rest in Power Nick Spencer. You will be missed
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2020-04-30 06:31:21 View / Comment (0)
Mary Herrmann
Nick sought to learn something new from every exchange. Once you demonstrated technical know-how and won his confidence, he stood alongside you, supported you and ensured your success. I had the great honor of partnering with Nick and his leadership team at Whiting more than 8 years ago when he brought executive coaching and team development to the refinery. He was an early adopter of coaching even though at the time it was a new form of development for him. He understood the importance of providing leaders an external sounding board for personal growth and development. Our professional friendship grew over the years during coffee, tea, lunch, and dinner exchanges in Chicago and London. Family was top of mind, and he was always exuberant to share his leadership learnings -- both the challenges and the glories. I will miss his bright smile, his great wit and humor, and his insatiable desire to learn. Sending love, hope and peace to Eve, Robert and Richard. Mary Herrmann, Managing Director, BPI group
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2020-04-29 15:48:10 View / Comment (0)
Andrew Waller
My fondest memories of Nick was from our many Quarterly Performance Reviews with RTE. I certainly wasn't the most important person in the room, and as the Technology Development Director I was conscious that my work wasn't the focus of Nick's visit. Despite all this, he always gave a wonderful, beaming smile and made a point of shaking my hand. It may have been a small thing, but it made me feel included and that my work mattered to him. As others have mentioned, I admired and respected his incredible attention to detail, strategic thinking, and calm direction...but what I remember most is that smile.
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2020-04-28 21:09:36 View / Comment (0)
Dotch Phillips
I had the pleasure of working with Nick for about 7 years whilst at the Whiting Refinery. Nick also served as the Executive Sponsor for the BP African-American network. Nick was always a positive and uplifting leader who was good to work with and work for. He was always calm, cool and comfortable and never appeared to have his feathers ruffled! He would always avail himself to me, even when he was extremely busy doing leadership types things, which was clearly a commitment to people. He had a knack for always making people feel valued and appreciated! I am so sorry for Eve, Robert and Richard, for I am certain that the world has lost a great man, a wonderful leader and an outstanding person! RIH, Nick!
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2020-04-28 17:56:23 View / Comment (0)
Bob Allendorfer
Having had the pleasure of working with and for Nick for the better part of the last 10 years, I look back on our time together with fond memories and will carry it forward for many years to come. Nick’s calm, systematic, longer-term approach provided much needed balance in turbulent times and has been deeply appreciated by me and many others. It's clear to see where Nick has made his mark on our businesses and, more importantly, his lasting impact on those who lead it. Eve, Richard and Robert – my heart goes out to you. Nick was a good man. May God’s Grace be with you now and forever. Bob Allendorfer
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Frederic Baudry
Frederic Baudry
We are still all so shocked by Nick’s disappearance, despite the passing of time. And continue to feel with you for your loss. I woke up again today thinking about Nick. In this familiar home-office I am surrounded by memories of happy times with the great colleagues I have got to know in 31 years with bp. I wanted to share with you this picture of Nick in his favourite element, a communion with his team of refinery managers. This was in South Africa in early 2019, and Guy and I joined in as this was our Team and we had shared hard-fought battles together. we also shared happy and funny memories, like that day when Nick and I were driving at night from one European refinery to another, and almost ran out of petrol in the middle of the Netherlands… us, run out of refined products… really??!! We did eventually seen the funny side of side, as we did time and time again together. Nick had this private and discrete sense of fun, coupled with deep professionalism, integrity and steely determination. We continue to miss him. Frédéric
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