By Emiliya Mychasuk and Emiko Terazono
Published: March 13 2009 02:00 | Last updated: March 13 2009 02:00
Royal Dutch Shell has taken the unusual step of appointing chief executive Jeroen van der Veer to be a non-executive director when he steps down in June.
The move does not breach corporate governance rules: Shell will still have the required majority of independent directors on its board and it will class Mr van der Veer, properly, as being not independent.
But the move raises questions from investors about Mr van der Veer’s role and influence.
Peter Montagnon, at the Association of British Insurers, said: “This is an unusual and potentially quite uncomfortable situation. I imagine shareholders will want to understand better the reasons why it will benefit the company.”
David Paterson , head of corporate governance at the National Association of Pension Funds, said: “As a general rule, a clean break normally is in the best interests of companies and shareholders.”
Shell yesterday stressed the contribution that Mr van der Veer would make with his deep experience of the industry, crediting him with stabilising Shell and improving its governance after the reserves misreporting scandal.
He replaces Maarten van den Bergh , the former chairman of Lloyds. He is another non-independent non-executive, after 32 years with the group including as president of Royal Dutch during 1998-2000.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
