Ralph Selby

Experience

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  Occidental Petroleum Corporation

  Sept 1995 - Mar 2015

  My position officially required me to ensure outside legal related invoices were paid. My role as I saw it was to support a legal staff of around 100 people with all things financial. I found that when I would do just a little bit more, it gave others more time to do their work and made my job easier in the long run. This built trust and opened communications not only internally, but with vendors as well. It didn’t happen overnight, there were workflow adjustments, software upgrades and guidelines built, but eventually it became a well-oiled machine. I never took anything for granted, because there inevitably would be a new issue that would need to be addressed. There was nothing better than being able to solve other people’s problems and make there day just a little bit better. Oxy was my home for almost 20 years, with the last 12 spent in the corporate legal department. The environment could be tense at times, but humor always worked its way into the picture somehow. It was professional as well as personal, we were a family. That is why it hurt when the corporate headquarters was moved from Los Angeles to Houston. A few people went to Texas, while others found new jobs in California or retired. My wife and I chose to move to Arizona and haven’t looked back. Show less

  • Legal Billing Coordinator

    May 2005 - Mar 2015

  • Legal Billing Clerk

    Jul 2002 - May 2005

  • Senior Security Specialist

    Sept 1995 - Jul 2002
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  Ralph Selby Photography

  Mar 2014 - now

  Photographic Explorer

  This is part-time business that may or may not ever evolve into a fulltime gig. The market is saturated, and the business side isn’t about having the best images, but I enjoy it so much it always be a part of life. My skills and eye for great images is always expanding and therefore so is my portfolio. When I am shooting pictures, my days start before the sun comes up and after the sun goes down. I have sacrificed gatherings with family and friends in order to get a desired image, because you can’t get the picture if you are not there. I have traveled and camped for days without ever getting the image I wanted, usually because the weather did not cooperate, but I never went home empty handed. No matter how much planning and research I do, it all comes down to mother nature and how prepared I am. When I travel for images, I make sure I can capture multiple images and hopefully discover something new. Show less

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  Honeywell / Cyberthink

  Nov 2016 - Feb 2018

  Accounting Data Analyst (contract/temp.)

  Here I worked for the best boss ever. He gave me the tools, direction and flexibility I needed to provide him and management with information needed to make decisions. I exceeded expectations by completing a project that two other people over the past few years were unable to accomplish. I asked the right questions from the right people. I learned everything I needed to know to not only accomplish my task, but to grow it into a single data resource for multiple teams across the entire global network. This resource is still used today by the finance team to determine cost, find savings and forecast the future. This started as a three to four-month temporary assignment to assist the accounting team with a system conversion. My part was completed early and I found myself working with the finance team for the next 15 months. I took pride in my work and being able to back up my findings. Of course, I was accountable for my work, but more than that, I never wanted my boss or team members to have incomplete or incorrect data. I worked with several different teams who helped me gather and understand data and would eventually benefit from my analysis. I feel I was more than a team member; I was part of something bigger, providing pieces to a complexed puzzle. Show less

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  Bolivar Cigar Lounge

  Sept 2018 - Feb 2020

  Manager

  Helping others is important to me, so when a friend opened an upscale member only cigar lounge in Scottsdale, I decided to help. Although I had no experience in retail, I knew this could be a good learning experience. I have learned about retail, inventory, and marketing, while providing my knowledge of budgeting and cost analysis. This is job about relationships. Relationships with customers, members and vendors. It is about growing a business from its infancy into a successful and desirable destination. This was never meant to be a career for me, but rather an opportunity to do something different while providing me a flexible enough schedule to expand my photography portfolio. Life is about balance and focusing on what is important today, while tomorrow will offer new opportunities and challenges, I am ready for the next opportunity. Show less

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  Elevate Services

  Feb 2020 - now

  Legal Spend Analyst

  I am a working to support my co-workers and customers in every way possible. Even ways we haven't discovered yet.