Recently we reached out to Jacob Jackson of ExxonMobil to discuss his role as an operator representative to The Open Group OSDU® Management Committee.
Jacob has a PhD in Geophysics from University of Texas at Dallas. At ExxonMobil, Jacob has specialized in geophysics and petrophysics workflows, as well as developed a subsurface data strategy for ExxonMobil’s Guyana business asset. Currently, as the OSDU Product Manager, Jacob is responsible for the integration of the OSDU Data Platform into the entire landscape of upstream data platforms
Please could you tell us about your current role and what initially drew you into this line of work?
My current role is the Product Manager for all Upstream modern data platforms at ExxonMobil. There are about a half dozen modern data platforms in the upstream, including the OSDU Data Platform Standard, and we have plans to add more in the near future. It’s a huge job with a lot of strategic and leadership opportunities. I started as a geoscientist at ExxonMobil, but I have a strong background in IT and data from previous experience. About 3 years ago I recognized that the time was right to modernize subsurface data, so I started championing the OSDU Data Platform internally and participating in the Forum. As we began to operationalize the OSDU Data Platform and integrate it into our suite of data platforms, it was recognized that we needed an overarching leader for all the data platforms. Since the OSDU Forum is our main focus right now, the position was created and offered to me.
Please can you describe your journey with The Open Group OSDU Forum so far?
My first real interaction with the OSDU Forum community was at the London face-to-face a few years ago where we gave a talk announcing the donation of the RAFS DDMS. That announcement made such a splash that I instantly made a host of new friends in the Forum. It’s been incredible to me how friendly and collaborative everyone is in the Forum—everyone truly wants to work together in a productive way, and I never observe unhealthy friction. Since that first talk, we have continued to create clarity, through formal talks and participation in working groups, about ExxonMobil’s progress and strategy for the OSDU Data Platform. I’ve particularly stayed deeply involved in data definitions in the Forum to make sure the RAFS data models and the DDMS are working as efficiently as possible. When the OMC position opened up, it seemed natural to offer to fill that more formal leadership role. Everyone in the Forum Leadership is deeply committed to the success of the data platform, so I am very excited to get to serve the forum in this new capacity!
How important is collaboration and what challenges to collaboration do we face?
One of the greatest values of the OSDU Forum is the structure it has created to allow the industry to collaborate. Historically, our industry has been very closed and companies very suspicious of each other. However, there’s nothing proprietary about our data models—even if the data themselves are closely guarded. We have discovered that there is more value in having a shared data model together, than going alone. I believe the greatest barrier to collaboration is that old way of thinking where we are always suspicious of others. We will all succeed better and faster as we shed that old way of thinking.
Are there any stories you would like to share that have shaped you professionally into the person you are today?
My father has had more influence on my career than anyone else. He has taught me so much, and I have still much to learn from him, about being successful in the corporate world. The most important thing he gave to me is a strong work ethic. He always does what needs to be done no matter how hard it is, how inconvenient, or whether or not he feels like doing it. Even now, at the cusp of retirement, he is still the hardest working person I know. I always try to live up to that example.
How do you see emerging technologies—like AI or generative tools—playing a role in the evolution of the OSDU Forum?
All of our leaders are pushing us to enable AI with the OSDU Data Platform. I think that what that ultimately looks like is not well defined, mostly due to the currently emerging maturity of the OSDU Data Platform. Nevertheless, whatever that ends up looking like, AI is only as good as the underlying data for training the models. The OSDU Data Platform is well positioned to support the AI future with trust attributes such as data quality rules and Technical Assurance, as well as a model for documenting business results. This is a treasure trove of metadata that will be essential to the success of subsurface AI initiatives.
What is a business philosophy or principle that you follow?
I believe our businesses should be used for good in the world. Personally, my philosophy is people before things—including our business. I commit to being compassionate, forgiving, and generous to those who I interact with (while knowing I need each of those things more than most). I always strive to promote transparency and create clarity so that everyone can perform their best.
What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to work in your field?
Previously, in my field, the most valuable people were those who could demonstrate both business and technical knowledge. Going forward, those individuals will need to add into their skills a significant amount of data knowledge. Individuals who are able to fluidly work in both the scientific and data spaces, while translating between IT and practitioners, will be the most sought after people.
What are you most looking forward to for the year ahead?
I’m looking forward to realizing the milestones the Forum Leadership has articulated for the Data Platform. The first milestone being to deliver, with the Data Platform, a tangible technical deliverable from a technical workflow—the depth/structure map. Afterward, we will take the business abilities of the Data Platform higher, with more integration, by supporting the delivery of the static geomodel. 2026 is the year the OSDU data platform will continue to deliver real business value to end users!
Ash Patel – CDMP – Certified Copywriter (CMP) – CDMA – Certified Proofreader and Editor (CMP) – Certified Business Writer (CMP), Content Marketing Manager, joined The Open Group in 2020, initially working in the Certification Team as a Certification Services Agent, before moving into the Marketing Team where he now works on marketing collateral, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), and produces/ hosts The Open Group Open Comments Podcast. Ash holds a First-Class Bachelor’s Degree in Media Production (BA hons) from Coventry University. He is based in the UK.