Royal Dutch Shell History it would prefer to forget

Bogus Group: BG Alumni….... normally your post wouldn’t warrant a response from me, however I’m curious to know, what was the idea that was fostered? The website is intertwined since Shell’s acquisition of BG Group, and having worked for both companies, I feel compelled to post my comments, as others should be made aware of the traits of some of their “colleagues”. I don’t know why you’d state the website is becoming ‘bitter and twisted’, my posts are factual, and having knowledge of the workings of BG Group, there is no reason to doubt that Bonus Group’s posts are not equally factual. I had the pleasure of working with a lot of committed people in both companies, mostly with good intent, but there were others with contrasting agendas, some bordering on sinister. Unfortunately, many of the good ones either left or were pushed, as they were seen as a threat to the lackey’s, intent in moving up the corporate ladder at all costs, emboldened by the toxic corporate culture. Some issues must be highlighted. For example, the Brent ‘TFA policy’, fatalities in a Brent Bravo utility shaft, a further fatality 2-years later in the same utility shaft and BG Group’s 20 plus fatalities in a ten-year period. Many of the causal factors can be attributed to the same management enablers, but because they were shielded by company lawyers, there was no accountability. If anyone should be branded ‘bitter and twisted’ it’s the lawyers. Is this what Michael Coates meant when he said one of his biggest internal challenges was his in-house legal team? It’s crucial to have people with the courage to express an opinion as opposed to those who turn a blind eye to failings. I could hazard a guess at what camp you’d be in.

Bonus Group: BG Alumni. Ha, ha! Your post is a typical example of the quality of BG Group work. Can't read what they have written, can't check what they have written, can't type and if you don't know, then lie. Bonus Group's posts are about the dismally poor standards at BG Group and their consequences. Sure, everyone liked being employed by BG Group, because they were well paid and didn't have to do any serious work. It was a case of 'passing the parcel' by email when you couldn't do the work required. All to the shareholders' detriment. I suggest that you go back to your cappuccino. Or is it a latte?

BG Alumni: It's about time Bonus Group and Bogus Group moved on. This website is repaidly becoming all baout the bitter and twisted.I can't imagine how that idea was fostered.

Bonus Group: For a further example of outstanding performance by BG Group Alumni, London Lad need look no further than Sound Energy where the share price has plummeted from £0.935 in February 2017 to £0.0335 December this year. This remarkable performance, however, does not detract from the Directors' and the Senior Managers' whopping salaries and bonuses. One can barely hear oneself think above the slurping and grunting at the trough.

Bogus Group: Interesting news article. “Network Rail are well into devolving and restructuring the organisation so that all activities and roles are closer to passengers in order to drive up train performance”. In 2018, many UK train commuters had a tough time with timetable schedules, journeys that didn’t leave or arrive on-time and delays due to major projects. Could this revival be attributed to the previous chief executive and one of the former Shell and BG Group ‘chosen few’, stepping down from his role?

Bonus Group: To put London Lad's rather naive comments into context. In the final days before the Executive Chairman, Andrew Gould 'pulled the plug' on the whole shooting match, at a Town Hall Meeting, the Chief Operating Officer, Sami Iskander, stood up and announced, to anyone who could be bothered to listen, that the company had spent £200MM assuring work which later cost them £2Bn because it was wrong. An absolutely, stellar performance. The people responsible for this are now deeply embedded within Shell's matrix organisation. An excellent result for the shareholders. Perhaps, a Bridge too Far?

Bonus Group: London Lad, Good to hear from you. I hope that you enjoyed your recent trip to Aberdeen. Having also been employed by Shell, I consider myself fortunate that I was not one of the 'Chosen Few'. The 'Chosen Few' are the most corrupt of the corrupt and will fit in well with your ilk. In respect of the slur about my performance, BG were involved in what can only be described as a stupendous multi-billion dollar technical fraud against Petrobras based upon a corrupt workflow which was both Functionally Approved through their Assurance Team and signed-off by the relevant Discipline Functional Head. They refused to correct their workflow and that resulted in a technical fraud. They tried to make me complicit in this fraud, but I refused. That is called integrity, something which I have no doubt that you know little of. You clearly relish brushing shoulders with fraudsters and liars.

LondonLad: I can only assume from the continuous moaning from “Bonus Group” that he/she was not one of the “chosen few” from the BG group and hence the vindictiveness. Poor performance = limited or no job opportunities which applies to both Shell and ex-BG staff. As a share holder I wouldn’t want it differently.

Bonus Group: Further to Bogus Group's post of Thursday 21st November. BG Group the failed Internet Cafe, cappucino and Belgian chocolate lifestyle company had an established reputation for: constructive dismissal, lack of transparency and corrupt 'do as I say, not as I do' line management. The acceptance of the 'Chosen Few' from BG by Shell into its upper echelons can only lead to further corruption. After all what was on the BG Portal in terms of Company Policy was of course also law, or at least that is what they would have you believe. As employers they were a complete disgrace and the company a complete shambles from top to bottom. Visitors to this site can look forward to more revelations of incompetence in due course as they unfold.

Bogus Group: I was lured by the Michael Coates (Associate General Counsel at Shell) interview by Lawyer Monthly, and the question……. what is the most challenging aspect of your job and how do you overcome this? His response “There are a number of interesting challenges but I will share one internal challenge, the management of our in-house legal team” The acquisition of BG Group and the infiltration of “the chosen few” from that company’s in-house legal team, may have bestowed a challenge he could never have imagined.

LondonLad: Well “Theo” when you say that “I know for sure the following” followed by a former director said “Black Gold we are digging up” then I think perhaps you are making this up. Most directors of an oil company (even including Shell) would not use the word “digging”! “Drilling” or “producing” yes but certainly not “digging” - exception being the muppets in the HR departments perhaps. In addition your last two sentences are irrelevant to the usual attacks on Shell and are somewhat waffle and insulting to most readers here. You clearly have a problem. I await the onslaught!!

Bogus Group: There are normally two sides to every story, but Mike Curless’ version of his termination employment under the pretext of the takeover of BG reorganisation could hold some credence. However, if there was a fair and transparent succession strategy, Sarah Franklin’s self-promotion, see previous post and article, https://www.accdocket.com/articles/tips-and-insights-a-world-class-combination.cfm must have made her a good candidate for one of the “vacant” roles within the Shell legal team. Time will tell if the relevant due diligence was done on Ms Franklin, considering her escapades with a previous company.