SHELL Malaysia chairman Datuk Jon Chadwick is very much like the company he heads – successful and resilient.
Chadwick started his career with the Shell group as a rough and tough drilling engineer in 1978 and has never looked back since.
“I have held 16 different jobs in 13 countries in my 27˝ years with the group,” he said.
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Datuk Jon Chadwick
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Having been in Malaysia for 3˝ years, Chadwick admits to being very fond of the country.
“This is my longest assignment. My average so far is about two years, too short, but I would like to stay for as long as possible. I am very happy here – Malaysia is a wonderful country to work and live in,” he said.
To Chadwick, the greatest achievement in his long career with Shell is his assignment in the country.
“I am very pleased with what is happening here. The team has taken Shell in Malaysia a step further – striving for a high level of excellence,” he said.
Describing himself as a man who wants every success for the group, Chadwick puts in long hours. An average working day will see him clocking in at seven in the morning and finishing only late at night.
“I also do a lot of travelling as we have 19 facilities and offices in the country. I am on the plane five times a week on most weeks. It is a very busy job; even dinner is business in Malaysia,” he said.
Having said that, he believes in spending quality time with his family.
“Having two teenage sons, aged 15 and 19, makes life interesting and challenging,” he joked. His eldest son has recently started university overseas.
He spends time watching DVDs with his youngest son. His favourite movies are The Shawshank Redemption, Apollo 13 and The Dead Poets Society.
“I like Morgan Freeman’s character in The Shawshank Redemption. He was a man of great humility, customer focus and interpersonal skill. His character appealed to me in the business sense.
“I also like Apollo 13, a movie on the triumph of the human spirit and technology and turning adversity into triumph,” he said.
A food enthusiast, Chadwick is full of praise for the diversity of the local food available.
“There is such variety – nasi lemak, satay, dim sum, otak-otak – and they are all so tasty,” he said.
Chadwick’s guiding philosophy in life is “to do unto others as you want others to do unto you.”
“This philosophy has helped a lot in my work and life. I also believe in a performance culture and meritocracy. By empowering people and taking risks, you will see people rising to the challenge,” he said.
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An aerial view of Shell’s integrated facility in Labuan
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He was also chairman of Coral, Shell’s North American marketing and trading affiliate, and a board member of InterGen, Shell’s power affiliate.
Currently, he sits on the boards of 13 companies and is the managing director of both Sarawak Shell Bhd and Sabah Shell Petroleum Co Ltd.
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COMMENT BY Alfred Donovan of ShellNews.net: We know a number former Shell Malaysian employees who would like to do to Jon Chadwick what he has done to them....
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