Shell plc has confirmed Ben van Beurden will step down as chief executive at the end of 2022 and his successor will be Wael Sawan, currently head of the company’s renewables segment
Mr Sawan’s appointment is effective 1 January 2023, when he will also join Shell’s board of directors. Mr van Beurden will continue working as an adviser to the board until 30 June 2023, after which he will leave the group.
Mr Sawan is currently director integrated gas, renewables and energy solutions and was previously director upstream. He is based in The Hague and has been a member of Shell’s executive committee for three years.
Prior to joining executive committee he was executive vice president deepwater, a member of the upstream leadership team, executive vice president Qatar and a member of the integrated gas leadership team. He has worked in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas during his 25-year Shell career.
Shell chair, Sir Andrew Mackenzie said, “Wael is an exceptional leader, with all the qualities needed to drive Shell safely and profitably through its next phase of transition and growth.
“His record of commercial, operational and transformational success reflects not only his broad, deep experience and understanding of Shell and the energy sector, but also his strategic clarity. He combines these qualities with a passion for people, which enables him to get the best from those around him. The outcome of the board’s succession process resulted both in the appointment of an outstanding chief executive and proved the strength and depth of Shell’s leadership talent. I look forward to working with Wael as we accelerate the delivery of our strategy.”
Mr Sawan said, “It has been a privilege to work alongside Ben and I’m honoured to take over the leadership of this great company from him. I’m looking forward to channelling the pioneering spirit and passion of our incredible people to rise to the immense challenges, and grasp the opportunities presented by the energy transition. We will be disciplined and value focused, as we work with our customers and partners to deliver the reliable, affordable and cleaner energy the world needs.”
Sir Andrew said, “Ben can look back with great pride on an extraordinary 39-year Shell career, culminating in nine years as an exceptional chief executive. During the last decade, he has been in the vanguard for the transition of Shell to a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 and has become a leading industry voice on some of the most important issues affecting society.
“He leaves a financially strong and profitable company with a robust balance sheet, very strong cash generation capability and a compelling set of options for growth. These were all enabled by bold moves he has led, including the 2016 acquisition of BG and the transformational US$30Bn divestment of non-core assets that followed.
“He took firm, decisive action to marshal the company through the global pandemic, seizing the opportunity for a major reset to ensure we emerged fitter, stronger and equipped to succeed in the energy transition. Powering Progress, Shell’s detailed strategy to accelerate our profitable transition to a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, was unveiled in February 2021 and was quickly followed by moves to simplify both our organisational and share structures. Ben’s legacy will frame Shell’s success for decades to come.”
Mr van Beurden said, “It has been a privilege and an honour to have served Shell for nearly four decades and to lead the company for the past nine years. In my journey from LNG design engineer to chief executive, I have been fortunate to work alongside so many talented people from diverse backgrounds – all committed to the company’s goal of providing the world with the essential commodities of modern life. I am proud of what we have achieved together. I have great confidence in Wael as my successor. He is a smart, principled and dynamic leader, who I know will continue to serve Shell with conviction and dedication. I wish him and his family all the best for the journey ahead.”
