Jump to content

Wael Sawan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wael Sawan
Sawan in 2010
Born1974 (age 49–50)
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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

References

[edit]
  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