Contributor: James Smith

James Smith was appointed Chairman of Shell UK in 2004, having joined Shell in 1983. Much of his early career was in upstream oil and gas. He lived for 4 1/2 years in Malaysia and Brunei and worked on Shell business in a number of Middle Eastern countries and in the US. He was head of technology in Shell Chemicals.

James is President of the Energy Institute and chairs the Advisory Board of the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership. He is on the boards of Opportunity Now and Race for Opportunity, the employer groups supporting gender and racial diversity in the workplace.

James has a degree in physics and is a chartered accountant. Before joining Shell he worked with Accenture. He is married with one son. His hobbies include tennis, golf, skiing, hill walking and the garden.