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Machteld: A lot. I was attracted by this being a business at the heart of the energy transition. I’m passionate at driving the transformation that society needs to deliver a lower carbon future; and you can see how the people in this business are supplying the fuels, chemicals and products our customers need, while helping to solve some of the biggest decarbonisation and sustainability challenges society faces. 

This is business that works in partnership with so many parts of Shell - from Trading to ensure we deliver the right product, to the right market, at the right time - to the Shell businesses that focus on low carbon solutions. Chemicals and Products assets are central to many of these opportunities, including the biofuels plant being built at the Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam in The Netherlands.

And in Chemicals, I’ve seen how we are using a liquid made from plastic waste, at our facilities on the U.S. Gulf Coast, to make circular products. I love how this business is already working on how it can support a sustainable plastic circular economy and help to tackle plastic waste.

Put this altogether and you see how Chemicals and Products is an enabler for Shell’s Powering Progress Strategy and why this is such an attractive job.

Machteld: I’ve been at Shell for 25 years and I’ve spent much of my time speaking to customers, from the Mobility business, which is where I first started, to Shell Global Lubricants where we serve many business customers. Working back from the customer and focusing on their needs is a key focus for me; and I believe these years of experience with a broad range of customer sectors will benefit Chemicals and Products, as we continue to transform this business.

As EVP for Global Lubricants, I was leading its transformation journey with a focus on more premium and differentiated products and building our business to serve the lubricant and fluids offers our customers need for the future. Chemicals and Products is undertaking a similar journey, as it focuses on ‘value over volume’ in the products it sells and develops the lower carbon, bio-based and circular products our customers will need more and more.

Machteld: As our Chief Executive Wael Sawan mentioned at Capital Markets Day, across Shell we must focus on performance, discipline and simplification and I will be working with my leadership team to ensure Chemicals and Products is delivering against this every day.

As well as the focus on carbon and customers, we also have to make sure that we place equal value on care. Given the nature of this business and facilities we operate, the safety and wellbeing of our employees, partners and local communities is always front of mind. We must always be looking at ways to minimise safety risks. For example, asking how we can work smarter or do things differently like using digital tools to automate some activities, to help take people out of harm’s way. We must never be complacent about our focus on safety.

Care for me is also about the type of business we are and how we are progressing in our DE&I [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] responsibilities. It’s really important to me we move forward on this, whether that’s helping people from diverse backgrounds to progress their careers to how we are more accessible to businesses, suppliers and the communities around our assets. And I’m delighted to have heard about great examples of building relationships with Indigenous communities at our Energy and Chemicals Park Scotford in Canada and with women-owned businesses at Shell Deer Park in Texas.

Machteld: Certainly mixed emotions. It is important that we set this business up to deliver long-term sustainable value for our customers and shareholders; so I was also proud of the role we see for the Chemicals and Products business playing through its Energy and Chemical Parks to offer more low-carbon solutions to our customers. However, the decision to put our Singapore Chemicals and Products assets under strategic review is of course not an easy decision to make. It creates uncertainty for our employees, so it is important we stay engaged and care for our employees throughout this period.

Machteld: Getting out to meet as many people as I can. I’ve been able to meet employees at some of our assets in the U.S. and Europe and I’m planning to visit more of our facilities over the coming months.

We also have exciting opportunities, for example, in China with our joint-venture CSPC and on the US Gulf Coast.

In the U.S., Shell is looking at opportunities to increase its linear alpha olefins capacity at Shell Geismar in Louisiana. LAO is a chemical used in products such as detergents and it’s a market where we see growth, including an opportunity to enter the PAO [Polyalphaolefin] market, which is a product used in lubricants. Furthermore, there is the potential for sustainable offers using the integration capability with our Norco facility. [Please note project is subject to final investment decision.]

Machteld: I love spending time with family and friends, going out for good food and keeping active. After three years in Houston, I’ve come to love Tex-Mex!