Five powerful reasons to be a chemical engineer at Shell

Five powerful reasons to be a chemical engineer at Shell

1st October 2015

Over the past few weeks we have been sharing real-life experiences of IChemE members, working at some of the world’s most innovative organisations. So far, our ChemEngProfiles video blogs have covered: ‘Five great reasons to be a chemical engineer at Syngenta‘, ‘Five great reasons to be a chemical engineer at BP‘, and most recently, ‘Five sweet reasons to be a chemical engineer at Mondelez’.

Today we turn our attention to Shell – one of the six oil and gas ‘supermajors’ and an IChemE Gold Corporate Partner. Through oil and gas exploration, production, refinement and distribution, Shell makes it possible for us to heat our homes, fuel our cars and cook our food.

But what is it like to be a chemical engineer at one of the world’s most valuable companies?

Exciting, diverse, challenging - maybe all of the above? Check out our latest ChemEngProfiles videos to find out.

(1) You work on meaningful projects that affect various stakeholders, right from the start.

Carlyn Greenhalgh, a process improvement practitioner at Shell, loves the complexity of chemical engineering. She explains how she went from University, to working on a production site with her own unit. Her pilot plant is now being manufactured and sold worldwide.

(2) Your transferable skills can buy you a round-the-world ticket.

John Abbott is the director of Shell’s downstream business, which covers commercial operations (most well-known for petrol stations and oil refineries). He talks about how his work in refineries has taken him from North America to South East Asia.

(3) You can be a designer, builder, scientist and operator.

Kirsteen van Welie-Campbell, senior concept engineer at Shell, describes the breadth and depth of her work. Working on a four year gas project she experienced design, construction, commissioning, operations and optimisation – before following her passion for conceptual engineering. Variety is the spice of life!

(4) Chemical engineers are at the heart of the process.

Marco Frodoni, process engineer in gasification at Shell, tells us why chemical engineers are the lifeblood of a company like Shell. Looking after an operating plant in Italy, Marco believes it’s the primary responsibility of chemical engineers to make fossil fuel use cleaner and more efficient.

(5) Working as a community, you are encouraged to share your knowledge.

Wim Leenhouts, chief process engineer at Shell, is responsible for a large community of process engineers. He explains that Shell’s unique structure makes for broad job roles, and employees must quickly learn to work with people from different cultures and disciplines.

Truly powerful stuff!

At IChemE we are fortunate to work with members from different countries, specialisms, and industry sectors. All their stories are important and that’s why we dedicate events, awards and conferences to sharing the passion for chemical engineering.

But we’re not at the ‘frontline’, we leave that to the members. That’s why we rely on them to share their knowledge and experiences with us, so we can continue to tell the world why chemical engineering matters.

Now it’s your turn. Join the conversation, and share your passion for chemical engineering on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Why do you love going to work? Let it all out in a post or a pic; and don’t forget to include #thepassion.