Employee Testimonials

How would you describe the working culture at Topaz?
Topaz has an open and dynamic culture and we are very focused on developing our team members to their full potential – starting with entry-level positions, even management trainees.  Everyone is encouraged to bring new ideas to the table. Topaz’s culture is one that empowers all employees to perform and to achieve their best at all times. There are wonderful offshore and onshore opportunities, and we often cross over talented employees from offshore to onshore positions. Our Operational Assurance Officers are great examples of how those in our fleet can transfer across to take on an onshore opportunity and take on different responsibilities within the organization.

How would you describe your experience working at Topaz?
Both challenging and empowering! I have enjoyed working in two different business units in the organisation. The Caspian market is a mature market, whereas the MENA market is currently distressed due to the downturn in the industry. It has been very interesting to see the contrast between the two regions and the opportunity this has brought me, from a personal development perspective. I think our focus on employee mobility is great as it broadens horizons and gives employees great exposure to different parts of the business.

The OSV industry changes almost on a daily basis and this is challenging for all employees. When working at Topaz, therefore, flexibility to adapt is essential. In the recent downturn, we were able to adapt and we were agile enough to take on the challenges we faced and turn them into positives.

What are your best memories of your time with Topaz?
During heavy weather on the 5th of December 2015, a gas riser ruptured on one of the manned platforms in the Azerbaijani Guneshli Field, which resulted in a major fire. The situation required complete abandonment of the platform. Topaz Dignity, Caspian Protector and Caspian Endeavour provided assistance in firefighting and to survivors in the water. All throughout the incident, our crews and vessels rotated 24/7 on support duties to ensure continuous, tireless support on-scene, demonstrating even more commitment and craftsmanship to be proud of! All crew members were honoured at a ceremony held in Baku later that month. We celebrated their commitment for protecting the safety of our clients’ personnel, as well as their own, and for providing true examples of operating safely, the Topaz Way! The entire company came together to support this crew. Our vessel crews stepped up and put themselves in harm’s way to rescue people that were trapped or that were lost overboard. It goes to show the benefit of empowering the offshore teams to take action when required. Training and development pays off when the going gets tough.

What I also greatly enjoy at Topaz are the town hall meetings, the annual senior officer and STOP conferences, when we get everyone together from various regions to share ideas and discover better ways of doing things.

How would you describe the working culture at Topaz?
We work in a multinational environment. I like that we have an open and welcoming culture, and that Topaz truly values each employee regardless of their nationality. Add that to the great working conditions Topaz provides, and it’s not surprising to see that many employees are often in for the long-term. I consider myself a member of the Topaz family.

How would you describe your experience working at Topaz?
During my time with Topaz I have had the opportunity to participate in many exciting projects, including the Petronas Carigali project in Turkmenistan, which I enjoyed. This was a great job because it offered a lot of variety in tasks and challenges. In my current role I apply my knowledge in seamanship to ensure the adherence of high operational standards within our company. My job often involves traveling from region to region and I use this opportunity to collect, deliver and share critical information which is useful for everyone involved in vessel operations.

What is the best memory of your time with Topaz?
One of my fondest memories at Topaz is from when I did some operational assurance work in Baku in October 2016. When I join a vessel I normally observe all of their on-board operations over a one week period, however on that occasion, I did day visits to a number of different vessels in the BP port base. The main purpose was to highlight anything that could be an issue during the vetting inspections. We inspected one vessel per day and conducted unannounced visits and inspections, which I really enjoyed.

How would you describe the working culture at Topaz?
In recent years, Topaz has shown its full potential as one of the key leading maritime companies in the marine industry, growing steadily and expanding significantly. Safety and crew training come first, which is great, as both of these aspects are very important to me.

How would you describe your experience working at Topaz?
Working at Topaz has been a delight, right from when I was a training engineer and through to my current position as a 2nd engineer. My experience at Topaz has been all about growth and numerous opportunities. The working conditions are good. Safety is a focus and Topaz always shows its commitment to continuous improvements and to motivate everyone in their daily jobs.  

What is the best memory of your time with Topaz?
I have had the opportunity to have worked in so many different locations with Topaz vessel and as such, I have gathered many good memories during my tenure here. One memory that remains particularly clear is my time on board a Topaz vessel that was anchored off the coast of Turkey. We experienced a gale wind of 55 knots and a 10-metre swell in the water. I was so proud to be part of such a strong team on that day- it took excellent crew teamwork to get through that storm unscathed and all of the training we had done really paid off. It was a very challenging experience, but when I reflect back on all of my experiences on board working with my colleagues, this was definitely one of the best.

How would you describe the working culture at Topaz?
Former USSR countries are notorious for authoritarian leadership styles and hierarchical environments. This was my main concern when I started to work for Topaz in Kazakhstan. To my surprise, Topaz was truly different. From the very beginning, I felt very comfortable to express my ideas and to challenge my colleagues, even senior colleagues. Ultimately, this has allowed me to contribute more and progress faster with my career. I love the fact that we are always encouraged to challenge the status-quo which I am now doing more and more of.

How would you describe your experience working at Topaz?
Previously I’ve had experience working for a large organisation. Topaz is not a small company, but not very big either and this, in my opinion, is a good thing. It means that the work activities to which employees are exposed are much more diverse. Every new project exposes us to something new, which means we are constantly learning and we always have enough support. To give an example, I am a Marine Engineer by education, but I’m working in Crewing now. If you are ambitious, do a good job, enjoy learning new things and you are willing to put some effort to grow, you’ve got the recipe for success at Topaz. It certainly worked for me!

What is the best memory of your time with Topaz?
It’s from a routine visit to our marine operations support base, which is around a two-hour drive from the office. I was busy with the implementation of the company-wide vessel management system in Kazakhstan and it turned out that two vessels from another region had come to the base and their crew had to be trained to use the system. I went on-board these vessels for a few days – and it was such an adventure! Both vessels were anchored offshore, we did a personnel transfer, the vessels were manned with all Russian crew, which I had never experienced before, and the diversity of the exercise was really amazing!