Building and mentoring teams to lead the net-zero future
Starting off as a young project engineer, 10 years later Ching was entrusted with the monumental task of building the first-of-its-kind services team to offer critical assistance to Shell businesses around the world. She shares how the opportunities and learning she received at Shell enabled her growth and equipped her to build a 140-member team that enables Shell’s journey towards becoming a net-zero emissions company.
Ching, a veteran in the energy sector, graduated as a chemical engineer in 2006 and started her professional journey working on the offshore operations team of a traditional American oil company. In 2012, after absorbing the learnings, the company had to offer, she applied for a role at Shell. “In my first role in a small company, the learning was often dependent on the experience of the senior you worked with,” she says.
“Being in Malaysia, I was aware of the scale at which Shell operated and had heard about the clear, structured approach it had towards large projects. The opportunity to upskill and learn in a large organisation that often sets global operating standards is what attracted me to Shell.”
A decade later Ching was called upon to lead a monumental task of building a new Technical Asset Support (TAS) Project Services team to offer critical assistance to Shell businesses around the world, including new and renewable energy projects.
A unique mandate that demanded a novel approach with no guidebook to follow was equal parts exciting and terrifying, Ching admits. “It’s a rare opportunity, almost like moving to a start-up but with the stable backing of a large organisation,” she says. “From arriving at the core nature of our offerings to charting our future scope and scale to listing out the competencies we want to build to picking the first set of team members, it has been one of the most challenging and fulfilling phases of my professional life."
In just over a year, Ching has grown from managing the initial 50-member team she picked from among her colleagues to a continuously expanding 140-member team, operating out of three countries that brings value to 30 per cent of the capital expenditure for Shell globally. And a sizeable chunk of the assets that the team supports are crucial in enabling Shell’s journey to become a net-zero emissions company. “I’m thoroughly invested in and aligned with Shell’s energy transition efforts; it’s a part of our DNA. That mindset reflects in our efforts, which includes constantly developing and refining ways in which we can utilise our collective experiences and skills to successfully serve numerous renewable energy projects that we take on,” she says.
In her early days, Ching's approach to her work was far removed from the culture of care that Shell emphasises, she admits. “I came from a smaller American company where the intrinsic attitude was straightforward and individualistic – deliver, optimise, and get paid,” she recalls. “I often questioned the constant conversation around care and the need of the individual and the community and thought ‘We’re here to deliver, right?”
Over time, however, Ching started to see how the culture contributed to her professional and personal growth. Starting off as a project engineer for Upstream Malaysia, she recalls how experienced colleagues involved her in larger projects and taught her to think differently. In the middle of a downturn, she says, “Shell saw the potential in me and broadened my horizon with a commercial role where I learnt to manoeuvre challenging business environments. It also granted me a scholarship to do my MBA with enough flexibility to ensure I did not have a career break.”
Project duties aside, Ching dedicates a significant part of her time focusing on the development and growth of the diverse members of her team. Her approach to leadership, she says, is an extension of the Shell culture that she has imbibed over time. “The opportunities to grow, the unwavering commitment towards prioritising the well-being of people and the focus on holistic development are values that I have benefitted from, and I pass on to my team,” she says.
Shell, she says, has ensured enough support and flexibility to fulfil her constant yearning to learn something new. “Post my MBA, I learnt yoga and continue to practise it daily,” she says. She also aimed to learn to play the Piano after she retired. With at least 20 more years of professional life ahead of her, she has already started to take piano lessons. “Shell made me realise that growth, flexibility, and balance mean more than pay, benefits, and work schedules. It also means encouraging people to find and pursue their passions, reminding them to take time off and supporting them on days when they’re just not up for the task,” she says.
Backed by a motivated team, Ching’s is currently focussing on digitalisation and automation that can better utilise energy resources and free up time for people to focus on developing energy solutions of the future. “With Shell’s dedication to the energy transition, there has been a monumental shift within the organisation, challenging established norms in favour of bold new strategies. We are fully aligned and doing our bit to contribute to achieving net-zero goals,” she concludes.