Shell appoints Suman Bery as new Chief Economist

Suman, an Indian national, joins Shell from the International Growth Centre, where he was most recently resident Country Director, India Central programme, helping to establish the New Delhi office in partnership with the Indian Statistical Institute’s Delhi Centre. Concurrently he served as a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and of the National Statistical Commission, a standing body charged with oversight of India’s official statistics.

From 2001-2011 he served as Director-General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), one of India’s best-known non-profit independent policy research institutions. Prior to that he enjoyed a distinguished career at the World Bank, based at its headquarters in Washington, where he focused on Latin American and Eastern European economies, specialising in the financial sector.

Suman is a respected media commentator on global economic developments and the Indian economy. He has a regular column in the Business Standard, a leading Indian business daily, has been a member of the Economist newspaper’s panel of guest economists and is a regular contributor to both the Brookings G20 blog and the East Asian Quarterly, a publication dealing with the economics and politics of East and South Asia. 

Jeremy Bentham, Shell’s Vice-President, Global Business Environment, said: “We are delighted to welcome Suman to Shell. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will be invaluable to Shell as we continue planning for the future. In these uncertain economic times, it is essential for a company like ours to have the expertise and credibility necessary to navigate through the complex environment that we operate in. Suman undoubtedly has these qualities, and I look forward greatly to working with him.”

Suman Bery said: “I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity to work at Shell. It has a well-deserved reputation for bringing careful, disciplined thinking to the linked issues of global growth, energy activity and long-term sustainability. It is a privilege to be allowed to participate in this endeavour at this challenging point for the global economy. I look forward to contributing to Shell’s efforts in looking ahead and planning for future energy challenges, helping Shell to become the world’s most competitive and innovative energy company.”  

Notes to editors

Suman Bery was Director-General and Chief Executive of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in India from 2001-2012. He was also Country Director, India Central at the International Growth Centre (IGC) in New Delhi. The IGC is a research initiative of the London School of Economics and Oxford University dedicated to improving evidence-based policy-making in developing countries.

Suman has been a member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council and India’s National Statistical Commission. He has served on several government committees dealing with India’s financial sector, the challenge facing its economic diplomacy, and resource security. 

Suman worked at the World Bank from 1972-2000 in a range of functions connected with economic research and country policy, with a geographic focus on Latin America, and Eastern Europe, and a specialisation in financial sector issues.

On leave from the World Bank between 1992 and 1994, he served as an adviser to the Governor and Deputy Governors of the Reserve Bank of India, India’s central bank, at the time of India’s major reform in the early 1990s.

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