“…THE SHELL GENERAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES ARE A BEDROCK OF OUR SUCCESS, THROUGH TOUGH TIMES AND GOOD TIMES”: PETER VOSER, CEO
WHEN SHELL INTRODUCED ITS GENERAL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES IN NOVEMBER 1976 IT WAS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST COMPANIES IN THE WORLD TO DO SO.
Andrew Vickers, today’s guardian of the principles, explains why they were needed: “Historically, Shell had been a collection of disparate companies,” he says. “There was a feeling that we needed a collective statement of principles to enable us to conduct our business in a consistent way across our global operations. It was initially just one side of paper, but it provided the foundation for much of the Shell success story in the years since then.”Dynamic and relevant
The business principles have evolved over time with updates in 1984, 1988, 1990, 1994, 1997 and 2005.
Vickers says:
“Our Business Principles are dynamic and continually reflect the world outside. So, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the world become more aware of, and concerned by, issues around sustainability we adapted our principles accordingly. Equally, in 2005 after the collapse of Enron, we amended the principles to include strengthening compliance.”
Today, the Shell General Business Principles is an eight-page document in which the eight principles are outlined. They cover the following areas: economic; competition; business integrity; political activities; health, safety, security and the environment; local communities; communication and engagement; and compliance. They are all underpinned by the core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people.
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.
