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Jeroen van der Veer

Jeroen retired as Chief Executive on June 30, 2009 and was succeeded by Peter Voser. Since 2004, Jeroen has led Shell through major change - simplifying governance and organisation, and clarifying direction and accountabilities.

Background

Jeroen van der Veer joined Shell in 1971 and worked in manufacturing and marketing in the Netherlands, Curaçao and the United Kingdom. In 1984, he returned to Shell Nederland as manager of Corporate Planning, and then of Pernis refinery in Rotterdam. After an assignment coordinating Shell businesses in Africa and Canada, he became a Managing Director of Shell Nederland in 1992. In this post, he led major reorganisations as well as a billion upgrade of Pernis refinery. In 1995, he moved to the United States as President and Chief Executive of the Shell Chemical Company.

He was appointed a Group Managing Director in 1997. Chemicals remained one of his areas of responsibility and he oversaw the worldwide restructuring of the business.

Jeroen was born in Utrecht in the Netherlands in 1947. He has two degrees – one in mechanical engineering from Delft University and another in economics from Rotterdam University. In 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

He is a Non-executive Director of Unilever, serving as a member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committees. He was World President of the Society of Chemical Industry from 2002 to 2004.

Personal

Jeroen is married to Mariette and has three daughters. On his travels he enjoys visiting museums, reflecting his interest in human progress. He keeps fit by playing golf off a 16 handicap. And he has twice skated the 200 kilometres ‘Elfstedentocht’ – 11 cities marathon – in the Netherlands.