Daily Express (UK): Most Shell staff critical of company's top brass (ShellNews.net) Posted 5 Feb 04

By Andrew Johnson

Published by The Daily Express: 3 Feb 05

MORE than half of Shell's staff are unhappy with the way the Anglo-Dutch oil giant is run, it was revealed yesterday.

An internal survey conducted late last year found a mere 47 per cent of staff felt the company was well led. This contrasts with a similar survey in 2002 in which 67 per cent of staff believed this. Sir Philip Watts, who was then executive chairman, left the company in the wake of last year's scandal in which nearly 4.5billion barrels of oil were wiped from estimated reserves.

Watts' replacement, Jeroen van der Veer, is expected to reveal record UK corporate profits of $18billion (£9.5billion) today but analysts fear more might be wiped from the reserves.

Van der Veer has tried to revive morale at the group through initiatives designed to boost team spirit.

In an e-mail to staff responding to the 81-question survey, he conceded: "I am not proud of these results."

It is believed morale was lowest in the exploration and production division, whose boss Walter van de Vijver was also axed along with chief financial officer Judy Boynton.

The company has unveiled plans to invest heavily in E&P to make up the reserves lost through being overbooked.