Matt Tucker

A placement year at an oil refinery was the start of a 25-year global career in energy management for business studies graduate Matt Tucker.

Matt graduated from Bournemouth University in 2000 and is now Head of Global Crude Trading at ExxonMobil, which still runs the Fawley refinery in Hampshire where Matt got his first taste of the industry.

Matt, who was the first in his family to graduate from university, said: “In the late 90s, the employment market was hugely competitive. While I had done well on my placement, there was no guarantee of a place on the company’s graduate scheme when I finished my final year at university. Nevertheless, I had impressed enough to be given the chance to apply. At that time, the typical profile was a chemical engineering or chemistry graduate from Oxford or Cambridge. My background in business studies at a more modern university didn’t quite fit, but they spotted something in me, and I haven’t looked back since.”

While many of his contemporaries came from more historic educational institutions, Matt is incredibly proud of his connections to Bournemouth. He said: “I always say that Bournemouth University was about developing business leaders, not just business studies students. I was inspired by lecturers with industry experience and we covered topics – such as contract law – which I still draw on today. That combination of business theory and practical application set me up to secure a graduate role but also helped me progress into more senior leadership positions.”

Today, Matt is based at ExxonMobil’s global headquarters in Houston, Texas, where he has oversight for the company’s crude trading in Singapore, London, Houston and Calgary. Given his own background, he remains committed to supporting new talent into the business which continues to run a graduate scheme.

He said: “My advice to students entering the industry is to be confident about the value and skills they can bring. Technology, and particularly AI, is changing the way we work and learn. But while AI can help us consolidate data more quickly, we still need the human, critical thinking skills to interpret and apply it to making real business decisions. That’s where a university education can really make a difference. I am proud of my education at Bournemouth University and believe that future generations of graduates have a huge amount to offer businesses like ours.”