Career Journeys

Time at Shell: 10 years
Degree: Economics
Location: Singapore

“When I was a graduate, Shell was a good match for my personality and my credentials. During the application process, Shell was open and helpful.  The person in charge of talent in the Middle East had a big influence on my decision to join trading – and we’re still friends now.

The people in my team all share the same down-to-earth quality that I first encountered at Shell. In Trading, we learn to appreciate all the different parts of the wider organisation. Globally, our focus is on a shared bottom line. Across the entire organisations, everyone’s interests are aligned – and that means we share goals with colleagues in upstream and downstream.

From the start, I had exposure to different clients, experts and situations.  Learning is exponential and continual.  I also get new information directly from different members of my team.  Diversity isn’t just a slogan at Shell.  Sitting here, I can see a wide range of nationalities and people with completely different academic training and knowledge. Some have backgrounds in engineering, others studied business or history. And, we’re evenly split 50:50 between men and women. The Team in London is just as diverse.

What I do is challenging – and the market is increasingly competitive. You can’t just achieve the same performance year after year. If you do, you go backwards. A good trader has business skills combined with personal and technical talents. Creativity is what makes the difference.

During the financial crisis, the price of crude oil plummeted. Shell Trading found a unique solution; storing oil in ships until the price rebounded. It took global coordination and input from across the organisation, but it worked. And it demonstrated the strength of our unified outlook.”

Shell International Trading and Shipping Co.Ltd. is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.