Wael Sawan

Wael Sawan
Sawan in 2010
Born1974 (age 50–51)
Beirut, Lebanon
NationalityLebanese and Canadian
EducationMcGill University
Harvard Business School
TitleCEO, Shell plc
TermJanuary 2023-
PredecessorBen van Beurden
SpouseNicole Sawan
Children3 sons

Wael Sawan (Arabic: وائل صوان ; born 1974) is a Lebanese-Canadian business executive, and the CEO of Shell plc since January 2023.

Early life

Sawan was born in Beirut in 1974.[1] He grew up in Dubai, and earned a master's degree in chemical engineering from McGill University in Canada.[1] He took a career break and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.[2]

He has dual Lebanese and Canadian nationality.[3]

Career

Sawan joined Shell in 1997 as an engineer with Petroleum Development Oman.[2] In the mid-2000s he was country chair in Qatar, overseeing the planning and early stages of the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GtL) project.[citation needed] He rose to become head of Shell's integrated gas and renewables division, and succeeded Ben van Beurden as CEO on 1 January 2023.[3] In the summer of 2023 he announced that Shell will be dropping plans to cut oil production each year for the rest of the decade.[4]

Sawan received a pay packet of £7.9 million ($10 million) for 2023, having become chief executive at the start of last year on an annual salary of £1.4 million.[5]

Personal life

Sawan is married to Nicole, and they have three sons.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Who is Shell's new chief executive Wael Sawan?". The National. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  2. ^ a b Shakespeare, Ananda (16 June 2014). "Wael Sawan". MEED. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  3. ^ a b Sweney, Mark (15 September 2022). "Shell appoints Wael Sawan to replace outgoing chief Ben van Beurden". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  4. ^ "'Pure climate vandalism': Shell backtracks on plans to cut oil". euronews. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Shell CEO Wael Sawan's total pay was $10 million in 2023". Reuters.com. 14 March 2024.
Business positions
Preceded by Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell
2023–present 		Succeeded by
not applicable