Shell unveils changes to leadership, downstream structure in US, Canada

Unconventional resources director and US chair, Marvin Odum, will leave Shell at the end of March 2016, the company announced on Wednesday.

Concurrent with Odum’s departure, and in a move that will simplify Shell’s structure, the Athabasca oil sands project and the Scotford upgrader in Canada will join the global downstream organization under downstream director, John Abbott.

Meanwhile, Shell's shale resources business will join the global upstream organization under upstream director Andy Brown. As a result of these changes, the unconventional resources business will cease to exist.

Since joining Shell as an engineer in 1982, Odum had held a number of commercial and technical leadership roles of increasing responsibility. He has held the position of US chair and president of Shell Oil Co. since 2008, and joined Royal Dutch Shell’s executive committee as upstream Americas director in July 2009.

“Marvin has had a long and distinguished Shell career and I’m grateful to him for the central role he’s played in the company’s success," said Ben van Beurden, CEO of Shell. "He leaves our important businesses in the Americas well positioned for the next phase of their development.”

Odum will be replaced as US chair and president of Shell Oil Co. by Bruce Culpepper, currently executive vice president of HR, unconventional resources and regional coordination.

In his new role, which is effective April 1, 2016, Culpepper, who is a US citizen and has worked for Shell for 34 years, will continue the company’s advocacy in the US on a wide range of energy policy issues.