“It’s initially something of a surprise. The question is, who is this guy,” Royal Bank of Canada analyst Peter Hutton said.
LONDON |
(Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) named head of refining Ben van Beurden to replace chief executive Peter Voser, a surprise appointment to steer Europe’s biggest oil firm through an industry-wide battle to replace reserves and control costs.
Analysts and investors had not considered van Beurden, who has worked for the company for 30 years, as a possible contender to replace Voser next year.
Their early focus was on Finance Director Simon Henry and other divisional heads Marvin Odum, Matthias Bichseland and Andrew Brown.