Casidhe Dyke

Project Manager and Business Development, Ocean Management & Trading Co. Ltd.

As Project Manager with Ocean Management & Trading and its affiliated companies, Casidhe is responsible for local/international business and project development. He has worked across a wide range of marine, mining, fishing, and oil & gas industry projects. This work has taken him to the Arctic, throughout Europe, and China.

Born and educated in St. John’s, Newfoundland he holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Marine Biology and a Masters in Natural Resource Management. Prior to university, Casidhe spent summers working on company owned and managed vessels. Before joining OMT, Casidhe worked as the Big Game Management Biologist for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador where he implemented and ran logistics for helicopter surveys across all areas of the province.

When not travelling for work, Casidhe enjoys being home in St. John’s where he spends most of his free time outdoors training for triathlons.

What’s your passion and how do you express that in your job every day?

Casidhe: I’ve always had a passion for meeting new people and learning from their experiences. I find myself almost daily trying to educate myself on new aspects of certain industries or understanding what are driving the changes in current markets. People are a wealth of knowledge and history. Having the opportunity to discuss with someone not only current developments but understanding the history of something, is invaluable.

How do you keep yourself on task, focused and accomplishing results?

Casidhe: It’s easy to get lost in work. And the more you work on developing a solution for a project, the easier it is to fixate on small details. For me, I need to regularly get away from my desk and go run or swim. It helps me clear my head and focus back on the bigger picture instead of stressing about the small and uncontrollable aspects of work.

How has the oil price drop affected your work?

Casidhe: The price drop has affected our work similar to most of the industry and forced us to become more creative in how we approach opportunities. A number of years ago we started to diversify the spectrum of clients we worked with. This diversity has allowed us to be resilient as various markets have changed over the past several years.

What advice do you have for young leaders getting into the oil and gas industry?

Casidhe: Being creative and innovative is crucial, especially in downturn markets. Current advances in technology are providing new opportunities. Processes used in other industries or in different regions of the world can make you more competitive. Having the knowledge to recognize a need or benefit of something, and then applying that requires a willingness to be constantly learning.

What is a key ingredient for success in business?

Casidhe: Knowledge is acquired through experience and the more diversified experiences, one can be involved in, can only broaden your abilities. Learn and understand the process of business, listen and be patient.

What do you feel are the main ingredients for succeeding in business in Atlantic Canada?

Casidhe: Being adaptable while recognizing your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Being able to respond to changes in the markets and identifying new opportunities is key to growing any business in Atlantic Canada. But at the same time it is a relatively small marketplace, and just because other companies are doing something does not mean that your company can do it as well or better. Strive for transparent relationships with clients, show that you understand their needs, and provide tangible, viable solutions.

What does it mean to be a “success”?

Casidhe: “Success” is always a word I’ve struggled with trying to define at a personal level. People tend to get caught up in small things and let stress define their lives. Enjoying what I do and the experiences I have had, have been key. If you find a way to live a life that you truly enjoy, that’s a good sign of success.

We heard you are a triathlete. That’s impressive. Tell us about that.

Casidhe: I’m pretty green to the sport. I’ve been active and outdoors most of my life; I’ve trail run since junior high. As I got older and spent more time behind a desk for work, it was harder to keep up with friends of mine that were climbing and ski guides. In order to keep up with them on the weekends, I found myself training harder and at a wider variety of activities during the week. Last year a few friends finally convinced me to sign up for a few triathlon races; their logic was “you’re doing it all anyway, why not put it together?” It’s definitely the toughest form of racing I’ve ever done. The commitment, effort, and skill of some of the top level triathletes in this province is humbling. I like the competition but it’s more about personal bests and improvement which are goals for fitness and work.