DAILY TELEGRAPH
Royal Dutch Shell shares jumped 12pc after it revealed that chief financial officer Peter Voser will take over as the company’s chief executive next July.
By Jamie DunkleyLast Updated: 6:51PM GMT 29 Oct 2008
Photo: GETTY
Mr Voser, 50, will succeed Jeroen van der Veer, who is to retire after almost five years at the company, which posted a second-quarter net profit of $11.6bn (£7.1bn) in July, boosted by record crude oil prices.
Shell chairman Jorma Ollila said he was “delighted” with the company’s choice, adding that he expected Mr Voser to build on the “strong position” established by 61-year-old Mr van der Veer.
Mr Van der Veer, who became chief executive in October 2004, stayed at Shell beyond the normal retirement age in the Netherlands to restore confidence in the company after a reserves scandal in January 2004. The company admitted that it had overstated its reserves, leading to lawsuits from investors and fines by regulators.