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*Note, there has only been four CEOs in Shell’s history, prior leaders had the title of Chairman.
Jeroen van der Veer served as the first Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell from 2004 to 2009.
Despite being appointed during a tumultuous period following major disclosures, Van der Veer successfully navigated the company through these challenging times.
His leadership and dedication to Shell extended beyond his CEO tenure, as he continued to serve as a non-executive Director until 2013.
Van der Veer's contributions to the company and the industry were recognized through various appointments and honors, including being a member of the supervisory board of Philips and receiving a Royal honor from the Queen of the Netherlands.
Peter Voser served as the Chief Executive Officer of Shell from 2009 to 2013.
During his tenure, Voser focused on financial discipline and cost-cutting measures to improve Shell's performance, resulting in an increase in the company's oil reserves by approximately 2.5 billion barrels.
However, one of the key decisions made under Voser's leadership, Shell's substantial investment in US shale, ultimately proved to be a failure, a move he later expressed regret over.
Despite this setback, Voser's overall leadership was generally viewed positively, with his legacy being described as stable.
Ben van Beurden had a remarkable career at Shell spanning nearly four decades, culminating in his role as the Chief Executive Officer from 2014 to 2022.
During his tenure as CEO, Van Beurden oversaw significant milestones, including the acquisition of BG Group for $53 billion in 2016, one of the company's largest acquisitions in decades, and the relocation of Shell's headquarters from the Netherlands to London.
Van Beurden's leadership was marked by navigating the company through two major oil market downturns and steering Shell to record profits, although these profits were met with criticism due to soaring energy costs for consumers.
Despite facing challenges such as a court order in the Netherlands to reduce emissions faster and criticism for not moving quickly enough towards clean energy—Van Beurden's tenure was characterized by strategic decisions, such as investing in clean energy and acknowledging the need for a transition to a more sustainable energy future.
Wael Sawan, a seasoned executive with a long and successful career at Shell, made history on January 1, 2023, when he became the first non-European to assume the role of Chief Executive Officer of Shell.
Having joined Shell in 1997, Sawan has held several critical positions within the company, including Vice President for Commercial, New Business and LNG in Qatar, Managing Director and Chairman of the Qatar Shell companies, and Executive Vice President of Shell's Deepwater business.
In 2019, Sawan's appointment to Shell's Executive Committee as Upstream Director paved the way for his eventual ascension to the top job.
As CEO, Sawan has pledged to be "ruthless" in improving Shell's performance and competitiveness against US rivals, focusing on financial discipline, cost reduction, and boosting investor returns.
Early in his tenure, Sawan oversaw Shell's record profits in 2022, although this achievement has drawn criticism due to high energy costs for consumers, prompting him to work on cutting operating costs by $2-3 billion.
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