The three words that sum up 2020

This year has been uniquely difficult in so many different ways. From the point of view of industry, it has been particularly tough for any business that makes and supplies fuels. As head of Downstream, the business that comes into direct contact with our customers through our 45,000 retail sites, I got a real sense of the disruption caused when normal life comes to a standstill. I also learned many powerful lessons about human resilience this year, my first in the role.

Resilience requires heart, but it comes much more from the head. So the question we faced in Shell was this: as a global business, how do you manage significant disruption on all fronts? The teams took one day at a time. They knew what “today” looked like, they knew “tomorrow” would be different and they adjusted and adapted. And they managed to do this in Downstream while delivering a strong operational and safety performance and strong financial results.

In fact, if I had to sum up the year in three words, “resilience” would be my first one. But it has been an emotional year and I cannot look back without thinking about the heart too. My second word would be “empathy”.

This year, I saw teams inside and outside Shell working at their best. And when I think of the teams in Downstream, I can say that their empathy, their understanding of each other was a big part of that. It was about the care – especially under pressure. The attitude I saw again and again was second to none. The way teams were led, how team members looked after each other, how they empowered others. This is care but it was also a deeper understanding of what was happening around them and it really struck me.

I think you can guess my third word. It is “pride”. I am proud of our teams, our strategy and the way we are reshaping Shell to respond to what our customers want and need today. I am proud to be part of a society that responded with such strength to the global threat of a pandemic.

Personally, 2020 certainly taught me how to use technology to communicate virtually. My children got used to my presence and even stopped asking when I would next be travelling. I was also very grateful for a skill I have had since I was a boy: sleeping well. My wife jokes that it is my main strength, but I think sleeping well is what gives me energy. It is important to separate work and life, no matter how much you enjoy what you do.

What I found toughest was not being able to meet others in person, beyond my family. I like to be at Shell’s operations and sites, with our partners and customers. And when there is difficult news, I want to see the teams, talk to them, be there. It was hard not to be able to do that.

One final reflection I have about the year is that if the pandemic had an incredible effect, the response across the world was incredible too. Care was shown in every quarter. This was a great positive in a difficult year and even though the challenges are far from over, this gives me a lot of energy and makes me look forward to the year to come.