Adduco CASE STUDY: Building HSE Leadership and Internal Capacity Through Fractional Leadership

A growing Western Canadian oilfield services company engaged Adduco for fractional HSE leadership. An interim assignment evolved into an ongoing relationship that strengthened internal capability, aligned support to operations, and gave the President greater capacity to focus on growth.

The Challenge

Significant growth created a need for dedicated senior leadership within the health, safety and environment function. The company had strong safety fundamentals, but its diverse operations required different forms of support. The President wanted a more strategic HSE program aligned with the company’s mission, vision and values. Managers were developing their teams, and HSE needed to demonstrate practical value while reinforcing everyone’s responsibility for safe work.

Our Approach

Reporting directly to the President, Adduco worked with HSE staff and divisional managers to clarify accountabilities, validate expectations, and align support with operational needs. Personal engagement and a structured change-management approach helped build trust and commitment.

Adduco supported new HSE staff and coached them to achieve external certification goals, and progressively delegated responsibilities. Working with company leaders and employees, Adduco strengthened collaboration across the Joint Health and Safety Committee and encouraged active participation in face-to-face safety meetings and town halls.

Leadership for Safety Excellence and root cause investigation training were strengthened. Managers took an active role in investigation reviews and corrective actions, while informal coaching helped supervisors turn ideas into practical procedures and processes.

Results Delivered

Under fractional HSE leadership, COR audit scores improved and were sustained above 90% with independent recognition of leadership commitment, strong incident reporting, and open employee communication.

Adduco fractional leadership of the HSE Team allows the President greater capacity to focus on business growth. Discussions with managers and workers indicate stronger ownership and a growing emphasis on learning from mistakes. Committee collaboration supports shared learning across operations.

Why It Worked

Experienced leadership combined strategic direction with practical involvement. The company’s managers, HSE staff and workers helped translate priorities into daily practice. Continuity enabled trust to develop, while a commitment proportional to workload provided flexible access to senior expertise. Building internal capability remained central to the relationship.