Who we are

Royal Dutch Shell was formed in 1907, although our history can be traced back to the first half of the 19th century.

Our headquarters are in The Hague, the Netherlands, and our Chief Executive Officer is Ben van Beurden. The parent company of the Shell group is Royal Dutch Shell plc, which is incorporated in England and Wales.

Our strategy is to strengthen our position as a leading energy company by providing oil and gas and low-carbon energy as the world’s energy system changes. Safety and social responsibility are fundamental to our business approach.

Our purpose

Shell’s purpose is to power progress together with more and cleaner energy solutions. We believe that rising standards of living for a growing global population are likely to continue to drive demand for energy, including oil and gas, for years to come. At the same time, technology changes and the need to tackle climate change means there is a transition underway to a lower-carbon, multisource energy system.

Against this backdrop, we have the following strategic ambitions:

to provide a world-class investment case. This involves growing free cash flow and increasing shareholder returns, all built upon a strong financial framework and resilient portfolio;
to thrive in the energy transition by responding to society’s desire for more and cleaner, convenient and competitive energy; and
to sustain a strong societal licence to operate and contribute to society through a shared value approach to our activities.

Our ability to achieve our strategic ambitions depends on how we respond to competitive forces. We continuously assess the external environment – the markets as well as the underlying economic, political, social and environmental drivers that shape them – to evaluate changes in competitive forces and business models.

We continuously seek to improve our operating performance, with an emphasis on health, safety, security, environment and asset performance.

Our people

Our people are essential to the successful delivery of the Shell strategy and to sustaining business performance over the long term. Performing competitively in the evolving energy landscape requires competent and empowered people working safely together.

A diverse workforce and an inclusive work environment are vital to our success, leading to greater innovation and better energy solutions. We believe that diverse teams led by inclusive leaders deliver better safety and business performance.

Find out about diversity and inclusion at Shell

Learn more about careers with Shell

At Shell you shape your own career

Read the transcript

Duration: 1:55 minutes

[Background music plays]

Bright, uplifting music

[Text displays]

Life at Shell

[Video footage]

Exterior plant site, tilt down to two workers in red overalls and hardhats in foreground

Interior medium close up of revolving glass door with Shell logo, man approaching it from exterior

Wide exterior, rear of car driving along road left of shot, expanse of grass foreground right, drill in distance, wooded area beyond

Close-up and slight pan across numbered soil samples, each in small square wooden display

Interior of driving car from front passenger side, male driver

Exterior plant site, short tracking shot of workers in red overalls and white hardhats walking towards camera along partially enclosed walkway, past chain-link fence

[Female interviewee] voice over

‘’If you would have asked me...’’

[Video footage]

Interior focus pull close-up of the back of heads of two women, woman on the right turns her head, mainframe in background

[Female interviewee] in vision

‘’…three and a half years ago what I would be doing, I would have never said…

[Female interviewee] voice over

“…oil and gas. ’’

[Video footage]

Exterior plant site, medium close woman in gloves and hardhat with Shell logo pointing out small object in palm of her hand to a man in hardhat standing next to her

Close-up of same woman’s gloved hands

Exterior plant site, medium close of same woman and man, woman talking and pointing upwards

[Female voice] ambient voice over

“ Instead of going in opposite directions, they'll be parallel. “

[Male voice] ambient voice over

‘’Oh, really?’’

[Male interviewee] voice over

‘’Shell is looking for future leaders. I like this statement.’’

[Video footage]

Wide shot of male interviewee walking across office lobby with large glass panels and doors, glass bannister in foreground

Medium close of interviewee in lobby walking towards camera, main door, steel pillar and glass panels in background

Close-up over shoulder shot of interviewee as he consults computer screen with technical information in colourful diagram and speaks on telephone in Far Eastern language

Medium wide front view of interviewee sitting at desk speaking on telephone

Back to rear/side view of same man on telephone, computer monitor visible in front of him

[Female interviewee] voice over

‘’I am responsible for the development and blending of bespoke fuels and…’’

[Video footage]

Wide shot of female interviewee carrying backpack walking across frame R to L past wall with monotone red-and-white images of racing cars

Focus pull of interviewee walking towards camera, Ferrari rearing black stallion logo on glass door in foreground, black car display vehicle in background, glass door slides to left as she enters, two men in suits walk towards display vehicle in background

[Female interviewee] in vision

‘’…lubricants products that we provide to the Ferrari Formula 1 team.’’

[Female interviewee] ambient voice over

‘’This is the GTL 4...’’

[Video footage]

Close-up of thin stream of lubricant pouring from vertical metal tubes into metal drum, main body of yellow machinery behind

Interviewee at machinery, turns towards partially in vision male colleague

[Female interviewee] ambient in vision

‘’…meaning four centistokes at 100 degrees C.’’

[Male colleague] ambient in vision

‘’That's correct.’’

[Female interviewee] voice over

‘’It gives me a wide range of opportunities…

[Video footage]

Diagonal pan down R to L to interviewee at office workstation, rear view

Close-up of technical drawings on computer monitor.

Close-up of left profile of interviewee wearing telephone headset

[Female interviewee] in vision

“…to work in challenging projects…”

[Female interviewee] voice over

“…and in stuff that really matters.’’

[Video footage]

Medium close of interviewee pointing to computer screen in discussion with male colleague

[Female interview] ambient in vision

‘’This is the flow line...’’

[Female interviewee] ambient voice over

‘’…where the…”’

[Video footage]

Close up of her index finger pointing at computer screen

Back to medium close of female speaker pointing to computer screen in discussion with male colleague

[Female ambient] ambient in vision

‘’…oil flows.’’

[Male interviewee] voice over

‘’My role is to speak with geologists and the geophysicists that actually look at the earth and tell us whether this could be an area of interest. And then, on top of that, my role would be to discuss with governments…” ’

[Video footage]

Interviewee with two other men all leaning over a desk, interviewee and man on his left in discussion

Close-up of same position, discussion continues, man on interviewee’s left nodding

Close-up of maps spread out on table, hands gesturing to various points

Medium shot of interviewee and colleague seen from over right shoulder of third man who is speaking and gesticulating

Interviewee and third man seen front, third man continues gesticulating and speaking, talking to interviewee and colleague.

Close-up of maps, man’s hand resting flat on one of the maps.

Medium of the three men as they examine the maps, third man, in foreground, leaning on maps and leading discussion

[Male interviewee] in vision

“…the added value that Shell can bring to a country.’’

[Video footage]

Exterior wide shot, diagonal pan down across three skyscrapers

[Prashanthini Sunderan] voice over

‘’I'm Prashanthini Sunderan.’’

[Title]

Prashantini Sunderan

[Video footage]

Prashanthini on tennis court, begins her serves

[Prashanthini Sunderan] voice over

‘’I'm a Subsea Controls Engineer.’’

[Title]

Prashantini Sunderan

Subsea Controls Engineer

[Video footage]

Rear shot as she follows through serve and opponent’s return volley

Prashantini returns volley

[Zhu Changlong] voice over

‘’I am Zhu Changlong.“

[Title]

Zhu Changlong

[Video footage]

Medium close left profile of Zhu Changlong in park bent forward, smiling, holding out soccer ball, shaking it and handing off

[Zhu Changlong] voice over

“My job title is Production Technologist.’’

[Title]

Zhu Changlong

Production Technologist

[Video footage]

Zhu Changlong in park with a woman, both crouched down, holding hands arms outstretched, small boy tosses the soccer ball in the air it falls inside their outstretched arms

Close up small boy

Medium close as Zhu Changlong picks up the small boy in one vigorous movement

[Cara Tredget] voice over

‘’My name is Cara Tredget…”

[Title]

Cara Tredget

[Video footage]

Cara Tredget playing a large wind instrument

[Cara Tredget] voice over

“..and I am Shell's Ferrari Technology Manager.’’

[Title]

Cara Tredget

Ferrari Technology Manager

[Video footage]

Close-up of Cara’s hands on keys of instrument

Medium close of Cara playing instrument

[Marc van Rooijen] voice over

‘’My name is Marc van Rooijen...”

[Title]

Marc van Rooijen

[Video footage]

Marc sailing a boat

Close-up of the bow-wave created by small sailboat.

[Marc van Rooijen] voice over

“…and I work as a Senior Commercial Advisor in floating LNG.’’

[Title]

Marc van Rooijen

Senior Commercial Advisor for FLNG

[Video footage]

Wide shot as Marc sails the boat close to a very grassy riverbank, towards a windmill on the bank

[Mohammed Al Rayahi] voice over

‘’My name is Mohammed Al Rayahi…”

[Video footage]

Mohammed seated, smiling, small girl on his lap, woman is visible in right foreground, smiling at both of them.

[Mohammed Al Rayahi] voice over

“…and I'm a Rotating Equipment Engineer.’’

[Title]

Mohammed Al Rayahi

Rotating Equipment Engineer

[Video footage]

Close-up of small girl on Mohammed’s lap, leafing through a storybook, woman’s hand pointing to page

Three shot of Mohammed, woman and small girl looking down at the book

[Ana Flenoy] voice over

‘’My name is Ana Flenoy…”

[Title]

Ana Flenoy

[Video footage]

Medium wide low lit shot of dancers on dance floor, Ana twirling with male partner focus of shot

[Ana Flenoy] voice over

“And I'm a Drilling Engineer.”

[Title]

Ana Flenoy

Drilling Engineer

[Video footage]

Close-up as Ana and partner spin closer to the camera

Close-up of Ana’s feet in high heeled sandals as she spins on the dance floor

[Ana Flenoy] voice over

“When I tell people what I do, they don't believe me. “

[Video footage]

Pan across Ana and her partner spinning and twirling, Ana’s partner leading

[Ana Flenoy] in vision

“But it's fun. I love it.’’

[Graphics]

Shell logo on white background.

[Text displays]

[Music ends]

Shell at a glance in 2017

70+ countries we operate in

86,000 employees on average

66 million tonnes of LNG sold during the year

21 refineries we have interests in

3.7 million barrels of oil equivalent we produce per day

Financial performance in 2017

Revenue: $305.2 billion

Income: $13.4 billion

Capital investment: $24 billion

Investment in research and development: $922 million

Fast facts for sustainable development in 2017

$111 million was spent on voluntary social investment worldwide. Of this:

$54 million was spent on local programmes for community development, disaster relief, education, road safety, health and biodiversity.
$57 million was in line with our global themes – energy access, boosting local skills and enterprise and STEM education.

We estimate that around $107 million of our total social investment spend in 2017 was in countries that are part of the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index 2016. These countries have a gross domestic product of less than $15,000 a year per person. Significant support is also provided in the form of voluntary work by Shell employees and donations of equipment.