Pam Kvellestad
Q: When did you graduate from the CAPPA Certificate Program?
A: I graduated from the SAIT CAPPA program in April of 2013.
Q: Were you new to industry when you took the PA course?
A: Yes, I was very new. I had raised and homeschooled our children for the previous 12 years, and once our youngest was starting high school, my husband encouraged me to take the opportunity to go back to school as well. I hadn’t worked in almost twenty years prior to attending SAIT, so there was a big learning curve and adjustment. Oil & Gas was pretty foreign to me as well, because I had only worked in banking, and that was a LONG TIME AGO!!
Q: How did you come to choose a career in Production Accounting?
A: I had friends that were production accountants, and I knew that they had done quite well in the industry. I also have a love of numbers and had a bit of an accounting background already. Overall, it seemed like a natural fit for me.
Q: Tell us about your current role and how it came to be
A: When I started at Pengrowth Energy, I came as a summer student (oldest one ever, I am sure) directly from SAIT, and I started in Royalty Income. Then, I became a Royalty Analyst. Currently, I am a Production Accountant. So it has been a progression.
Q: Tell us what you enjoy most about your current role?
A: No day, no week, no month is ever the same. There are always new things to learn or figure out. I love the challenge that it brings, as well as always working with different people on the different properties – be it Measurement, Engineering, Field Operators, Partners, other PA’s.
Q: What has helped you most to settle into your job or to do your job better?
A: Other people for SURE……The CAPPA course helped me to get my head around the Oil & Gas Industry, which I knew almost nothing about at the time, and helped me prepare for what I should expect at my first job and what a lot of the terminology means! But it has been the patience of folks within the company that has helped me be the best analyst I can be! They have spent time working with me and helping me to learn the multitude of computer programs and what they all mean, and where to find things within them. So thank you to those who have helped me so much, if you are reading this!!
Q: What are some of the benefits that you enjoy about being a member of CAPPA?
A: I think it is good to be a part of our professional organization. I have had a CAPPA membership ever since I became a Production Accountant. Having attended several of the Lunch and Learns over the past 4 years, I have always come out with new knowledge on a variety of pertinent topics. I have had the opportunity to meet other PA’s and folks in the industry in a variety of roles, and I have also seen some of my teachers from SAIT again! As well, just being a part of CAPPA, I know several folks that have used the Job Board, and I won free tickets to go to last year’s measurement conference. So sometimes just unexpected benefits come your way.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
A: I love to travel. So whenever we can get away, either by plane or on a road trip, I am ready to go……Other than that, I am on committees at our church where I organize luncheons and get-togethers of various sorts, and I do love live music and theatre. My husband is an Iron Maiden fan, so on occasion you will find me on a plane flown by the lead singer of the band flying off somewhere to hear them play. (Now you just know too much about me!)
Q: Do you have any advice for those considering a career in Production Accounting?
A: If you like days filled with challenge and change, and you aren’t afraid of those things, then you will probably love production accounting!!
Q: Anything else you would like to tell us?
A: I have never regretted taking the CAPPA course or going back to work after so many years. It has been a wonderful journey, and I look forward to seeing what tomorrow brings!!
