Les Davis has been interested in mechanical things since a young age. He spent his childhood working on bicycles and go-carts and then later it was boats and cars. His father worked in the petrochemical industry, so when it came time to select a college major, he encouraged his son to go into chemical engineering. Davis decided that mechanical engineering suited his interests and strengths better. 

An indirect path 

Davis’ initial stint in college didn’t last long, however. After one semester at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall of 1989, he decided to take time off from school to earn some money. This is where he was introduced to the oil industry.

“I landed a job as an unskilled laborer in the Exxon Baton Rouge refinery,” said Davis. “Over the next several years, I made my way up in the construction trades to a journeyman structural ironworker and boilermaker. The work was fulfilling, and I could see a great career path developing, which made it harder to walk away from that field and head back to college.”

He returned to LSU in 1994 and graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering. He also holds a Professional Engineering License. The time he spent working in construction slowed down the start of his professional career in engineering, but it helped him gain a deep insight into how work is really carried out in the field and gave him an understanding of the mindset and viewpoints of the frontline construction employees who make things happen. 

“That was a huge benefit for me later as I moved into management roles,” said Davis.    

After graduation, Davis started as a project engineer at Marathon Petroleum’s Garyville, Louisiana, refinery. Since then, he’s changed roles and locations, working in Texas City, Texas, Canton, Ohio, Los Angeles, California, and now in Findlay, Ohio. He’s been with the company for 26 years, and he is grateful for the experiences that working for Marathon has provided. 

“I have had the good fortune of working for great leaders at Marathon that kept me challenged and provided opportunities,” said Davis. “Marathon has been the best refining operator in the business for a long time, and that has led to continuous growth in the company and new opportunities for employees.”

“Marathon wants to lead the digital transformation process in the refining industry, and I hope that is an exciting thought for our young employees coming into the business.” 

Reliability and mechanical integrity

Today, Davis is the director of the Refining Reliability and Mechanical Integrity (RRMI) group, which is made up of industry experts in many disciplines focused on maintenance. His team of 44 specialized employees is spread out across the country. His group is responsible for supporting turnarounds (large, planned shutdown events to refurbish refinery units), construction of new units and expansion projects, routine maintenance (the day-to-day maintenance of the facilities) and reliability, which includes group of specialists that supports the mechanical reliability of the facilities. 

Davis has seen the industry change tremendously during his career, and he noted that Marathon Petroleum continues to embrace new developments in the energy industry. He’s excited about it.  

“This makes us poised to be successful in the future,” said Davis. “Today we talk about digital. We are embracing technology. It’s not the days of old in refining.” 

NextGen Maintenance & Mobility is a company-wide effort at Marathon Petroleum to digitize, connect, and increase the intelligence in the way we maintain our operating assets and drive improved reliability, and Davis and his team are heavily involved in leading this transformation.

Wireless technology is being used to connect monitoring devices. Engineers and craft workers will have equipment and procedures at their fingertips.

“We are using drones, robotics and advanced analytics at the refineries as well as exploring many other emerging technologies such as ‘digital twin’ solutions,” said Davis. “A digital twin in the basic sense is a digital image of your facility and processes that can be accessed from anywhere virtually. It keeps people from having to be in the field. Planners can do things remotely, which is safer and more cost effective. We are also deploying AI and machine learning that we think will be the future of the industry.”

What hasn’t changed at the company is the need for safe, high-quality work and an unwavering focus on mechanical integrity. 

“Les is focused on working to improve reliability and efficiency,” said Marathon Petroleum Senior Vice President of Refining Brad Levi. “If the work process is more efficient, we can get more work done, perform better repairs and have fewer incidents, which leads to better safety results.”

Learning to lead

As a leader, Davis said he initially struggled when he first moved into supervision roles. He took a very hands-on approach with his direct reports. As his team grew, he realized it wasn’t possible to micromanage that many people. 

“It’s a struggle for some leaders to go from individual contributor to supervisor,” said Davis. “I had a leader who gave me a job supervising 17 people. I was overwhelmed, because you can’t be in the business of 17 people every day. He told me ‘That’s the point.’ You must transition to where you aren’t necessarily the expert in what you are managing. You take a collaborative and supportive role, and then watch as your team accomplishes great things.”

Levi, who has worked with Davis for more than 15 years, credits Davis for being a thoughtful leader who gives others the opportunity to share their ideas. Davis enjoys troubleshooting and problem solving, whether it’s as a team leader, in refinery maintenance, or working on cars at home. He believes that Marathon’s forward-looking view and continued growth will provide exciting and challenging career opportunities for employees long into the future, and he looks forward to helping lead the way.