Meet Vladimir - Team Leader

• Location: US
• Joined Shell: 1998

I am leading the Asphaltene team of the Flow Assurance Group of Shell Global Solutions US Inc., one of the largest groups in the Company and the industry in general. We minimize operators’ Unit Technical Cost through best-in-class technical advice and contractor management, where a common challenge is to leverage the best service both regionally and globally.

My team is uncompromisingly focused on delivery and exceeding our business partners expectations. We always bring forth challenging goals and are not afraid to break new ground.

For an international team like ours, success is measured on making our work environment comfortable and safe, achieving work-life balance and sharing goals and values. Our modus operandi is very simple - to be able to look back and say: “This is the value that I created for my company...”

There is a lot of emphasis on using the truly global multi-disciplinary network of experts – internal and external – to bring together diverse knowledge and expertise in various areas. This is our Shell trademark, motivation for joint goal achievements and a critical enabler for achieving operational excellence in exploration and production.

Developing new tools and technologies is also synonymous with Shell. Within our group, we have a focused research and development effort that includes several groundbreaking joint industry projects.

We undoubtedly shape up the flow assurance technology development in the industry. By implementing new technologies we actually define new operational standards, including HSE, and emerge as the industry-recognized leaders with best practices, and push the envelope.

I enjoy the multi-faceted nature of the job, the intricate network of various problems such as, for example, running a commercial outfit of Shell with third party clients yet safeguarding Shell interests.

Certainly, there is a huge external exposure and the challenge to, firstly, set up and, then, deliver on new, higher performance standards on many fronts such as commercial, technology and people management. And, I have the opportunity to mentor new professionals and help develop their career.

I am a geologist by background, and received my M.Sc. from Moscow State University in Russia and my Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Before I joined Shell, I worked as an economic geologist prospecting for platinum deposits in Russia. After a successful run, I came to Dallas to start my doctorate study.

As a part of my graduate work, I launched a joint project with ARCO studying the petroleum system of the East Texas basin. Prior to graduation I received several job offers from various international companies, but Shell had a reputation as “the company that treats people differently” – not subject to market whim - and stood out as a truly international technology-driven business, where I could pursue an international career.

I started with Shell in the Netherlands, where I looked after geochemistry and basin modeling, and, together with colleagues from other parts of the business, established the Center of Excellence for Petroleum Systems Analysis.

Several factors – it is a matter of having a job with diverse challenges, strong technology drive and the quest to distribute our best practices among the Shell companies.

A contributing factor is my non-technical challenges such as managing new business partners and external exposure, as well as the distinct pleasure of dealing with talented professionals across the company.

The value of feeling very much at home in your office and being technically capable to deliver the best for the company certainly matters, too. Additionally, there are diverse career opportunities in Shell, all part of the overall employee value proposition.

One has to understand that these opportunities and freedoms do exist, and learn how to take advantage of them. Shell offers a truly unique chance to try on something different as one develops and find out what is best for you and the Company.