I'm a "legacy Husky" person and have a few observations about the new place so far. First, A LOT of what is said on this page is 100% true. It's really helped me understand what's happening and not get so unnerved by it, so thanks to everyone for sharing. So now I will share too.
No company is perfect but the big difference between Husky and Cenovus is arrogance. Like many say, don't believe how great we are, ask us. We'll tell you.
At least at Husky there was acknowledgement of the need for continuous improvement. It took a bunch of safety issues to get there but it did. In fact, identifying ways to improve was encouraged in my team. Complete opposite at Cenovus, so my #1 lesson is to be careful about trying to make something better or pointing out where a change could be made for improvement. The only exception is if you have a Husky person who has left where you can shift the blame.
Do not say anything if it could be seen as your deficiency or the deficiency of one of the proclaimed management "rising stars" or their favoured person or consultant. If you do this, you are finished. I saw it about five times. Don't even bring it up unless it's a safety situation. (I personally would rather lose my job than see someone get hurt.)
The underlying theme is that if you think differently from the golden Cenovus or especially a golden Cenovus person, you're not a "team player." As for High Reliability Organization principles, forget them all. Sometimes you gotta go along to get along. Even if they tell you 1+1=5, just nod and find a way to make it work.
Play the long game because once you're on the team you can start to play by their rules and you can start to decide who gets to stay and go based on how easy they make life for you and how much they stroke your ego. Director or VP in this place does not look like a bad gig if you can get it and once you do, stomp on anyone who tries to take it from you. Don't let them even get close if you're smart, and if they do, stomp fast and do it hard.