Growing in skill by reimagining technology for an energy-secure today
A civil engineering graduate who found his calling in digital technology, Heng joined Shell to build technology solutions that can tackle the energy transition. He shares how working with the Digital Game Changer Lab gave him the opportunity to learn from nearly every stakeholder in Shell’s global energy supply chain and taught him why a focus on people is central to developing technology that can shape the future of energy.
Ever since his days as a civil engineering student, Heng has had a passion for digital transition, and exploring the role technology plays in decarbonisation. That drive is the reason behind his membership in the organising team for the annual Malaysian Students’ Technology Conference, where he received his first offer to work at Shell. And it’s how he found a place in the Digital Game Changer Lab within the Digital and Process Transformation department of Contracting and Procurement (CP).
As a digital analyst for CP and contributor to the Game Changer Lab, it’s a role that enables him to work with the latest technology and learn the skills that back his resolve of developing solutions to drive the energy future. “In my current role, I work with technology like artificial intelligence and natural language processing to find solutions that help secure a more efficient, safe, and sustainable supply chain for Shell,” Heng says. We find or build potential solutions, test them in sandbox environments for three to six months, ascertain how the technology can be improved or sustained in the long run. The intensive reports that we produce, enables Shell to invest in innovations that contribute to achieving its net-zero emission goals.”
Heng, who graduated from university just two years ago, admits that tackling a new problem in a new area of business with new technology is both daunting and exhilarating. “Imagine not knowing anything on day one and, after conversations with multiple stakeholders and hours of research over a week or two, acquiring a strong foundational understanding of a new area of business or technology. It’s an amazing feeling,” he says. It’s one of the first ways he truly felt like he belonged at Shell, being able to adopt a learner mindset that has allowed him to stay ahead of the curve.
While his work revolves around working with digital tools, Heng says his biggest learning at Shell has been about people and communities rather than systems. He was trained at university to operate on hard logic to build technology solutions, which he says can often be at the expense of ease of usability. Experienced colleagues at Shell helped him understand why people are central to developing solutions that can truly contribute to Shell’s Powering Progress strategy. “Sometimes the most logical solution to a challenge is not the best fit when taking into account people’s responses to it and their ways of working,” he says. “It’s important to work with communities in the most efficient and inclusive manner. Building with people in mind can help your personal growth as well.”
When he had first encountered Shell while organising the technology conference in college, Heng says the company stood out above all others. Their inclusivity and supportive work culture were apparent just from how happy employees are and how passionate they are in driving transformation. Yet, when he first joined, Shell’s culture where co-workers voluntarily introduced themselves and offered to share their experiences was by far the most surreal. “I came from a place where very often the help did not come for free,” he shares. “At Shell people are accepting and very willing to support my development. It motivates me to learn a lot more.”
Immersed in this culture of collaboration and working at the forefront of the transition with nearly every stakeholder in the energy supply chain spread across 70 countries gives Heng immense depth of knowledge and conceptual clarity about the sector. “One needs to understand the energy trilemma to be able to truly serve people and communities. There’s the energy transition that people speak about, and we continuously work towards. But there is also energy security and energy equity. Communities around the world need to receive reliable, stable energy that is affordable and delivered to them in the most carbon efficient way.”
The strong foundational knowledge, Heng understands, will help accelerate his professional growth, and will enable him to transition to a role that focuses on developing technology solutions for the energy of today and tomorrow.