Focus on the community

The oil giant is a patron of sport and the arts

ny company that has operated in a foreign country for more than 100 years gets to know the people and the environment pretty well. For Shell in Singapore, this is noticeable as much in the ubiquity of its well-known logo as it is in the local community.
“Our local initiatives are very much in line with our corporate philosophy,” says Lee Tzu Yang, chairman of Shell Companies in Singapore. “We balance social, environmental and commercial concerns in our business and there has been a long history of involvement in the community.”

Late last year, Shell decided to locate an overseas headquarters in Singapore. The strategy is to develop human resources across the region as business grows.
Financial incentives were not the main reason for the company’s decision, says Mr Yang. “It is more the ability, skills and attitude of the Singapore government and people to transform the country into the prime hub for the region.
He adds: “We’ve chosen to base a significant amount of our investment, management services and operations here. We believe this is an attractive and secure base where we can locate international staff and develop people, not only from Singapore but from Asia and the rest of the world.”

Shell’s early involvement in Singapore centred on the transshipment of oil. In 1961 the company built the first refinery on the island, which led to the manufacturing of petroleum products.
“Then, in the early 1980s, the use of hydrocarbons to build plastics and polymers was initiated here,” says Mr Yang. “What we are looking for is better integration between oil and chemicals and further value-added products in the petrochemicals chain.”

Shell, the leading petrol retailer in Singapore, sponsors a variety of events, both sporting and cultural. Since 1991, Shell has been sponsoring scholarships in the arts. It also sponsors the annual Shell Supersprints, organised by the Singapore Motorsports Association, and events like swimathons, and charities. Mr Yang is proud of his company’s work in education and road traffic safety programmes. And last year Shell rolled out its LiveWIRE Young Business Start-up Awards scheme, which now operates in 18 countries worldwide.
Singapore is a clean and highly organised society, which is how its citizens and businesses like it. Shell has a high reputation for the environmental care it takes, and the company supports a number of schemes to improve public green spaces.