Oct 09 email correspondence with Shell Ethics Chief Richard Wiseman

—–Original Message—–
From: John Donovan [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 01 October 2009 18:49
To: Wiseman, Richard RM SI-RDS-CCO
Cc: Brandjes, Michiel CM SI-LC
Subject: Leaflet Distribution at Shell Centre

Dear Mr Wiseman

I promised to let you know when we intend to recommence the distribution of leaflets at Shell Centre.

This will happen at 11am on Monday.  A team of three people will hand out the leaflets. They have been instructed to do so in a friendly  manner and not to cause any obstruction. There will be no shouting or  disorder. No protest banners. Just leaflets. They will obey  instructions from your security staff on where they can stand to hand out the leaflets on public property to people entering Shell Centre.

Initially the leaflets will be distributed for four hours per day on Monday, Thursday and Friday.

In subsequent weeks and months, distribution arrangements will be varied.

Regards
John Donovan

RESPONSE FROM RICHARD WISEMAN

From: [email protected]
Date: 2 October 2009 08:47:29 BST
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: RE: Leaflet Distribution at Shell Centre

Dear Mr Donovan,

Thank you for letting me know.  It might be helpful if I had a copy of the leaflets you propose to distribute in the same way that you usually let us have drafts of the texts of your website postings and I’d be grateful if you would consider this.

Regards

Richard Wiseman

Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
Royal Dutch Shell plc
Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA

REPLY FROM JOHN DONOVAN

—–Original Message—–
From: John Donovan [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: 02 October 2009 09:16
To: Wiseman, Richard RM SI-RDS-CCO
Subject: Re: Leaflet Distribution at Shell Centre

Dear Mr Wiseman

The two leaflets being distributed next week are attached. I will in future send copies in advance as requested. Shell will then have the opportunity to seek injunctions to prevent circulation if you take issue with the facts set out in the leaflets.

Regards
John Donovan

RESPONSE FROM RICHARD WISEMAN

Dear Mr Donovan

Many thanks for your swift response.

Regards
Richard Wiseman

Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer
Royal Dutch Shell plc
Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA

FIRST LEAFLET

10 YEARS ON AND NOTHINGS CHANGED

By John Donovan of royaldutchshellplc.com

A decade ago we had a team outside Shell HQ handing out leaflets every week on a regular basis.

At the time, thousands of loyal experienced Shell employees were being ruthlessly culled. Shell later paid a high price for hiring contractors to replace lost skills. Is the same short-termism being repeated now?

“Transformation” under Moody-Stuart, “Transition 2009” under Peter Voser; different buzzwords, same outcome. Staff working at the coalface treated like disposable non-entities, while greedy and ruthless executive directors pump up their obscene, bonus and stock option packed, fat cat “compensation”.

Even if caught deceiving financial regulators and Shell investors, as the reserves fraudster Sir Philip Watts was, they are assured of a huge payoff ($18.5 million in his case) and are indemnified against all potential legal costs.

Interesting to note that the Form 20F declarations to the SEC highlighted Shell’s claimed General Business Principles… honesty, integrity, transparency, respect for people – all the PR crap designed to fool investors and Shell suppliers. What we have described as a confidence tricksters charter. The declared proven oil and gas reserves were, like Shell’s ethical code, illusionary.

Returning to the subject of self-aggrandisement, this is what former Shell exec Paddy Briggs said in May:

“What characterises Shell head honchos in recent times is that it is all about self. Power, position, perks and obscenely inflated bonuses and rewards – and to hell with the business or the tradition or the history of this once great company and once respected brand. And to hell with the stakeholders as well. Suppliers, Partners, local communities, employees, pensioners and society at large are the disposable small fry in the selfish and self-centered world of Van Der Veer, Cook, Brinded and the rest.”

The latest “head honcho” has added to the anxiety of some Shell employees by requiring them to reapply for their jobs. Not as bad as water boarding, but still a form of torture to those of a nervous disposition. Voser describes the insult as “an interesting exercise because we could really select those we are keen on.”

It seems a cruel undeserved imposition by the nice Mr Voser, bearing in mind that the overwhelming majority of Shell people are loyal, decent, and hard working.

Our beef is still with the hypocrites at the very top, such as Malcolm Brinded, who pay lip service to the SGBP while supporting and encouraging IP theft, a corrupted tender for a major contract, and the notorious “TFA” safety culture on North Sea Platforms which cost the lives of offshore workers.

In future leaflets, we will provide information about these and other, even more sinister Shell misdeeds.

Published by John Donovan of royaldutchshellplc.com
Email address for leaked Shell docs: [email protected]

SECOND LEAFLET

RIGGED SHELL CONTRACT TENDER

By John Donovan of royaldutchshellplc.com

Although this story relates to events that occurred years ago, it reveals the hypocrisy of two people at the top of Shell, Malcolm Brinded and Richard Wiseman.

Both have made speeches proclaiming the importance of Shell’s General Business Principles pledging honesty, integrity and transparency in all of Shell’s dealings.

Wiseman stated in an anti-corruption speech:

“A reputation for integrity is a priceless asset which can vanish or be severely tarnished by a single error of judgment. Shell Core Values: Honesty, Integrity and Respect for People underpin everything we do and are the foundation of our Shell General Business Principles.”

Our dealings with Brinded and Wiseman arose from a series of High Court actions we brought against Shell UK. They resulted from the activities of a dishonest Shell manager, AJL, intent on setting up his own business inside Shell to exploit his position as National Promotions manager.

AJL cheated many companies who trusted Shell, perhaps lulled by the claimed code of business ethics. He ruthlessly drew them into a Machiavellian “SMART” contract tender plot masterminded by him, involving a conspiracy of Shell managers. Deception was used to steal intellectual property from companies and delay disclosure to Shell’s rivals.

AJL set out his unscrupulous plans in documents, some in his own handwriting. He funnelled confidential information gained from unsuspecting companies under false pretences, to an agency with whom he had a special relationship.

His mind set was evident from an incriminating email relating to the same project that he circulated to Shell colleagues.

Extract: “NB: To answer your last point: My note of 25/10 is the official position, my note of 9/9 expressed a personal and pragmatic view of how to handle the problem – it is in fact illegal and is certainly unofficial, and if we were discovered then we will enforce the official legal position – which is that all volume must currently be rewarded with promotional points”.

The SMART contract was miraculously awarded to the agency AJL had a special relationship with. They had not even run in the contract race. AJL had a close private relationship with its senior directors. His diaries show that he also had an offshore bank account in the Channel Islands (Jersey) into which undisclosed payments were made.

As far as we could tell, all confidential ideas disclosed to AJL and subsequently adopted by Shell were channelled to this same favoured agency. This included a series of proposals we disclosed to AJL in strictest confidence.

Never guessing that his hand-written diary entries would be exposed to scrutiny in a High Court case, AJL made entries which revealed that he was a disgruntled employee and was intent to “Set up personal business while @ Shell 35 yrs = exit date.” It was his apparent objective to exploit his position to create enough personal wealth to exit Shell at the age of 35.

Despite being aware of the extraordinary background evidence, Shell’s most senior management, including Malcolm Brinded and Wiseman, gave their unstinting support to AJL even after his treacherous behaviour was exposed.

Both of these senior Shell people gave higher priority to a thoroughly dishonest Shell manager who masterminded a corrupted tender process, than to the Shell code of business ethics, the Statement of General Business Principles.

Published by John Donovan of royaldutchshellplc.com
Email address for leaked Shell docs: [email protected]

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