Fewer hands, rising demand. Canada’s energy sector is bracing for both.
According to the National Energy Labour Market Outlook from Careers in Energy (CIE), demand is expected to grow in the years ahead.
“The energy industry is projected to generate between 41,600 and 46,500 new direct jobs by 2035, while another 68,700 to 69,500 energy workers are eligible to retire over the forecast period,” notes CIE.
Meaning at least 110,000 new workers will be needed to fill the gap in the next decade.
Competitive demand for talent is often accompanied by greater pressure on technical teams to do more, with less. Think: higher expectations around collaboration, speed and efficiency.
This shift is forcing many energy companies to rethink how their teams are structured and how they work together.
These shifts were front and center at FutureFlow 2025, a panel hosted by CMG and featuring technical and executive leaders from across the energy sector.
The group unpacked how energy teams are changing how they work. From restructured teams to clearer communication and better use of tools, the focus is on meeting rising expectations with fewer resources.
Watch the full panel discussion on what energy leaders are doing differently now
Structural changes and standardized communication can enhance team alignment
Kim Chiu, President of SCR Cold Lake at Strathcona Resources, said the company has moved away from function-based teams and reorganized into business units.
Older models of team management had deep technical silos, each with their own VP and priorities, he said. Drilling teams were measured on cost and schedule. Meanwhile, subsurface teams were focused on the number of barrels produced.
Now, everyone is working under the same leader, towards a single shared goal based on financial metrics, he explained.
“It creates a very aligned discussion so that whether you’re in reservoir, whether you’re in facilities … you’re aimed at the same target.”
At Gran Tierra Energy Inc., which has teams working across Canada and South America, a standardized process for communication is key.
“It used to be, don’t send an email. Pick up the phone,” said COO, Sebastien Morin. “Now it’s get on a video chat and look at somebody in the eye and say, ‘what is it that you need?’”
His teams also use AI for translation, when different languages are spoken, and are encouraged to communicate and support each other across different types of operations.
“When you’re a driller, or you’re completions, or you’re reservoir, you guys can’t achieve something without each other. Make that part of the culture where you train your folks to be proactive in asking someone for help,” said Morin.
Watch the full panel discussion on what energy leaders are doing differently now
Technology is helping to meet evolving operational and client demands
For Pramod Jain, CEO of Computer Modelling Group (CMG), team alignment also helps to unlock the value of advanced technology.
“What they’re talking about — connecting silos and having common objectives — is music to my ears,” he said. “Because that’s where technology can play a key role.”
Thanks to the proliferation of AI tools and more top-down support for tech use in the sector, Jain said he sees growing interest in tech adoption, which can help teams meet their shared goals. And he applauds a focus on enhanced operations, combined with or augmented by technology, to access greater returns.
“When you have OpEx as your criteria … you can use technology to drive more gains compared to before, where technology was sitting in the CapEx bucket,” he noted.
In addition to operational efficiency, tech can also help meet new client demands, said Brian Hamm, president and CEO of McDaniel.
“We’re doing a lot more work on macro now than we used to,” said Hamm. “Clients are asking us a lot more questions about … what’s going on in Colombia, what’s going on in Argentina, or what’s the supply look like over there?”
That’s a shift from a decade ago, Hamm said, when oil was abundant everywhere so customers were just looking for the cheapest supply.
That shift is reshaping client expectations.
Hamm explained that McDaniel now helps to build machine learning models that pull in large datasets so clients can better evaluate their assets, optimize development strategies and assess risk. “We certainly don’t get the answer exactly,” he said, “but we’re helping our clients assess the drift.”
As energy companies respond to evolving expectations and workforce realities, it’s clear that doing more with less isn’t just about speed, it’s about smarter, more integrated ways of working.
From restructured teams and standardized communication to increased use of technology and data-informed decision-making, the path forward requires both new tools and greater alignment of people and processes. That alignment is what makes the tools useful. Structure and clarity come first, then technology helps scale the results.
Watch the full FutureFlow 2025 panel to hear how energy leaders are adapting. To continue reading, explore how energy leadership is evolving, how technology is being adopted, and what’s next for the sector.
