Ben van Beurden became Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shell with effect from 1 January 2014.

Ben’s career in Shell spans both Upstream and Downstream activities. He has held a number of operational and commercial roles, including some 10 years in the LNG business, and a variety of positions in Downstream. In January 2005, Ben became Vice President, Manufacturing Excellence, based in Houston, USA. In this role, he was responsible for standards in operational excellence and high-performance initiatives in refining and chemicals manufacturing. In December 2006, he was appointed Executive Vice President, Chemicals, based in London, UK. During his tenure in the role, Ben was appointed to the boards of a number of leading industry associations including the International Council of Chemicals Associations and the European Chemical Industry Council. From January to September  2013, Ben was Downstream Director and had regional responsibility for Europe and Turkey. He has been a member of the Executive Committee since January 2013.

Ben joined Shell in 1983, after graduating with a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.