Bernardus Cornelis Adriana Margriet “Ben” van Beurden is a Dutch businessman who is the CEO of Shell plc. He was born on 23 April 1958. Van Beurden joined Shell in 1983, after graduating with a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
During his tenure as head of Shell, the company was ordered by a Netherlands court to reduce its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Van Beurden described the ruling as “unreasonable” and said the company had no intentions to meet the court-ordered climate targets.
In early‑2022, ClientEarth began civil proceedings against van Beurden and 12 other directors of UK‑based Shell plc in an attempt to hold these individuals personally responsible for failing to adequately prepare the company for a transition to carbon neutrality. More specifically ClientEarth asserts that these individuals have a fiduciary duty under the UK Companies Act to operate in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement.
Why is Ben van Beurden Stepping Down as CEO of Shell?
Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden is to step down after almost a decade in the job, with head of gas and renewables Wael Sawan named to replace him as leader of the energy major.
Thursday’s announcement ends months of speculation over who would succeed van Beurden at the FTSE 100 company. Big Oil chief executives rarely serve longer than 10 years, and initial preparations for van Beurden’s departure began shortly after Sir Andrew Mackenzie’s installation as chair in May last year, according to people familiar with the matter.