Managing change in a supportive environment

Aspiring to join the workforce of a large corporation is one thing, but continuing to grow and transition between various roles is another.

Sriram Musunuri aspired as a young petroleum engineer to be part of a company that cared for its people. It is this, and a shared belief in Shell’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect, that have sustained his long and diverse career with the business. “The core values this organization holds dear are essentially my individual values as well,” he says. “Shell was always a targeted employer of mine: a large corporation with a great reputation.”

Sriram joined Shell 14 years ago after early career roles with other energy companies, and on completing an MBA at the Asian Institute of Management. He says he was fortunate to then be able to develop his management skills as Customer Center Manager for Shell in Singapore and then the region.

“Then I went into a supply chain management role, where I managed the strategic supply chain activities for one of the larger chemical product lines in the region,” he recalls.

Sriram’s interests broadened. As the Regional Marine Manager, responsible for the safe and efficient movement of three million metric tonnes per annum of hazardous chemicals, Sriram was required to maximise commercial interests without compromising HSSE risks. He became curious about risk management and took on the role of Regional Marine Manager. “It was a very sizeable job where significant risk management was expected,” he says.

His adventurous career took another turn when, four years later, Sriram became the Global Marketing Manager for Solvents, where he was responsible for marketing and global launch of a new range of products based on Gas To Liquids (GTL) technology.

Sriram is now the Commercial Manager for Propylene Oxide & Derivatives: “My role is to manage bottom line performance for the Asia Pacific and the region. I have a team of nine sales and marketing staff but there is an extended, much larger operation.”

Shell supported Sriram throughout his transition between the various roles by offering regular trainings and catch ups in order to evolve his skill competencies: “My line manager has a very effective process, which helps me keep a good sense of what my strengths and competency gaps are from an organizational perspective; this helps me focus on the areas I need to build on and improve.”

Predominantly driven by development opportunities, Sriram has experienced a diverse and varied career: “I never would have visualized my pathway, I’ve gotten to do what I wanted to do, but the pathway was completely different from where I originally wanted it to be.”

Sriram is pleased with his time at Shell so far: “For me, it has been both a humbling experience but also an extremely fortunate one.” And he plans to continue to grow his career with Shell: “I would like to see myself in a global leadership position.”

Sriram encourages those around him to keep an open mind and focus on developing relevant skills: “Being confident in one’s capabilities and knowing there is support around is key. Don’t be stopped by the fear of the unknown, change can be well managed.”