Ben and the EC answers on diversity and the people

It was a rare opportunity for more than 600 employees to engage with the Executive
Committee at a townhall in Singapore last month.

More than 600 Shell Singapore employees grasped the chance to take part in a dialogue
session with EC.
During the townhall facilitated by CEO Ben van Beurden on 21 September at The Star
Gallery, members of the Executive Committee (EC) shared their views on a range of topics
with an audience of more than 600 Shell Singapore staff.
The first My News article covered hot topics such as the BG combination and low oil prices.
This article shifts the focus to ECs thoughts about Shell people, diversity and inclusion.
Shell values gender diversity
The missing presence of a female in the male-dominated EC stood out to Yuan Zhiling from
Shell Retail. She asked if EC planned to appoint a female EC member soon.

Ben took the lead in the discussion of gender diversity.

Ben stressed that the EC has had female representation before. Although he could not
commit to when the next female EC member will be appointed, Ben affirmed that diversity
is important to Shell.
I understand the importance of a female EC member as a role model and affirmation that
diversity is being taken seriously in the highest levels of the company, said Ben.
Adding on to the topic of female talent, Chief Human Resources and Corporate Officer Hugh
Mitchell shared how Shell tries to secure gender diversity by building the female talent pool
from the most junior levels in the organization. Hugh added that Shell has been recruiting at
least 50% female graduates for functional, commercial, engineering and technical roles for
over a decade.

Hugh gave his views on female talent in Shell.

However, he stated that Shell still sees higher attrition from females than males along the
career journey. He sees the challenge lies not just in meeting gender recruitment targets,
but also in helping women stay in and progress their careers with Shell.
Helen Lim, president of the Network of Women (NOW), who attended the townhall,
resonated with the messages from EC. She said that NOW is also actively supporting HR and
businesses to empower women and build a sustained pipeline of female talent by providing
professional/personal development resources and networking opportunities.
Our vision for NOW is to provide a platform for women in Shell Singapore to share ideas or
best practices to enhance their professional and personal abilities, said Helen.
Ethnic diversity in leadership
Besides gender diversity, the townhall also discussed about ethnic diversity in leadership.

Shell Legal Director Donny Ching, the only Asian in the EC, shared on the importance of
diversity.
Kenneth Wong from Downstream Supply Chain asked Shell Legal Director Donny Ching for
advice on how he rose up the ranks to his level in the EC. Donny is the only Asian member
in the EC.
Donny said that a global company like Shell needs diversity of views, experiences and
culture at every level. What I hope I bring to the Executive Committee is a breath of
perspective, both in terms of having worked in multiple countries around the world and in
different businesses that we have, said Donny.
Acting with courage, determination and conviction
When asked to share pivotal experiences that have shaped his life, Ben said he believed in
learning through experiences.
Ben shared he was often confronted with an opportunity or a challenge. At times, he would
have doubts about his ability to handle those tough situations, but over time he soon came
to realise that it was those situations that helped shape his development.
If you see an opportunity or challenge in front of you, deal with it and dont hesitate. Acting
with courage, determination and conviction is one of the biggest learnings I have even
though it may be incredibly uncomfortable from time to time, advised Ben.