Wael Sawan
Wael Sawan | |
|---|---|
Sawan in 2010 | |
| Born | 1974 (age 50–51) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Nationality | Lebanese and Canadian |
| Education | McGill University (MEng) Harvard University (MBA) |
| Title | CEO, Shell plc |
| Term | January 2023- |
| Predecessor | Ben van Beurden |
| Spouse | Nicole Sawan |
| Children | 3 sons |
Wael Sawan (Arabic: وائل صوان ; born 1974) is a Lebanese-Canadian business executive, and the CEO of Shell plc[1] since January 2023.
Early life and education
Sawan was born in Beirut in 1974.[2] He grew up in Dubai, and earned a master's degree in chemical engineering from McGill University in Canada.[2] He took a career break and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.[3]
He has dual Lebanese and Canadian nationality.[4]
Career
Sawan joined Shell in 1997 as an engineer with Petroleum Development Oman.[3] In the mid-2000s he was country chair in Qatar, overseeing the planning and early stages of the Pearl Gas-to-Liquids (GtL) project. He rose to become head of Shell's integrated gas and renewables division, and succeeded Ben van Beurden as CEO on 1 January 2023.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6]
Personal life
Sawan is married to Nicole, and they have three sons.[2]
References
- ^ Chen, Yawen (3 June 2025). "Breakingviews - Shell-BP merger's key ingredient is time". Reuters. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Who is Shell's new chief executive Wael Sawan?". The National. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ a b Shakespeare, Ananda (16 June 2014). "Wael Sawan". MEED. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ a b Sweney, Mark (15 September 2022). "Shell appoints Wael Sawan to replace outgoing chief Ben van Beurden". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "'Pure climate vandalism': Shell backtracks on plans to cut oil". euronews. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Shell CEO Wael Sawan's total pay was $10 million in 2023". Reuters.com. 14 March 2024.