Peter Robert Voser (born 29 August 1958)[1] is a Swiss businessman, who is the chairman of the Swedish-Swiss company ABB. He was the CEO of the Dutch-British corporation Royal Dutch Shell from July 2009 to December 2013. He was interim CEO of ABB from April 2019 to February 2020.[2] He started his career at Royal Dutch Shell in 1982, working in a number of finance and business roles in different countries. From 2002 to 2005 he was chief financial officer for ABB and Royal Dutch Shell. In 2004, he was appointed Royal Dutch Shell's chief financial officer (CFO) and then CEO in July 2009.

Peter Voser
Peter Voser in 2009
Born
Peter Robert Voser

(1958-08-29) 29 August 1958 (age 66)
Baden, Switzerland
Alma materZurich University of Applied Sciences
OccupationBusinessman
Years active–present
TitleChairman of ABB
Board member ofIBM Corporation / Temasek Holdings / PSA International
SpouseDaniela Voser
Children3

Early life

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Voser was born in Baden, Switzerland in 1958.[3] From 1979 to 1982 he studied for a Business Administration degree from Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland.[4]

Career

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In 1982, at age 24, Voser joined Shell and held a variety of finance and business roles in Switzerland, the UK, Argentina and Chile, as well as chief financial officer of Oil Products.[5]

From 2002 to 2004, Voser was CFO and an executive committee member of the Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) Group of Companies. Voser is active in a number of international and bilateral organisations, including the European Round Table of Industrialists and The Business Council.

In 2010, he became a director of Catalyst, a non-profit organisation working to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women at work.

Voser was CFO of Shell until mid-2009, when he became the company's CEO and was succeeded as CFO by Simon Henry.[6] On 2 May 2013, it was announced that Voser would retire from Shell in the first half of 2014.[7] On 17 April 2019, Voser was named interim Chief Executive Officer of ABB. [8] and also Board Director in IBM since 2015.[9]

Other activities

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Government agencies

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Corporate boards

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Recognition

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On 15 July 2011, His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei awarded Voser the Order of Paduka Seri Laila Jasa in recognition of his services to Brunei.[14][15] In April 2022 Peter Voser was conferred the Honorary Citizen Award by the Singapore Government.[16]

Controversy

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Royal Dutch Shell paid former chief executive Peter Voser £22m in his last years 2012–2013 through share awards and other performance-related bonuses while the company failed to perform well. Voser was responsible for the controversial projects of the US oil shale lands, the Niger Delta and the Arctic oil exploration.[17]

Personal life

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Voser is married to Daniela and has three children.[18] Since September 2013 he has been serving in the position of the chairman of the St. Gallen Foundation for International Studies, replacing Josef Ackermann.[19]

References

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  1. ^ Forbes.com
  2. ^ "Peter R. Voser, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABB Ltd".
  3. ^ Munzinger.de
  4. ^ "Peter R. Voser: Executive profile and biography". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on 9 June 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
  5. ^ "News & Views".
  6. ^ "Royal Dutch Shell in board reshuffle, names Simon Henry new CFO". Proactiveinvestors (UK). 12 March 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  7. ^ "ROYAL DUT ADR'B' : ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC – CEO Peter Voser to retire in 2014". 4 Traders. 2 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
  8. ^ "ABB names Peter Voser as interim CEO".
  9. ^ "Meet the board". IBM.
  10. ^ International Advisory Council Economic Development Board (EDB).
  11. ^ Forshaw, Stephen. "Temasek Appoints Three More Board Members". Temasek Holdings. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Peter Voser named as new chairman of PSA International". Seatrade Maritime. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  13. ^ "IBM Elects Two New Members to Its Board of Directors". marketwatch. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  14. ^ "News & Views".
  15. ^ "HM 65th Birthday Awards". HM 65th Birthday Awards. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  16. ^ "National Honours Conferred on Two Senior Business Executives for Significant Contributions to Singapore".
  17. ^ Former Shell chief paid £22m over two years despite profit warning Annual report reveals how Peter Voser made enormous gains through share awards and other performance-related bonuses, The Guardian 13 March 2014
  18. ^ Peter Voser biography at Shell.com Archived 30 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ International Students’ Committee, Changes in the Board of Trustees[permanent dead link], retrieved 25 May 2012.
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Business positions
Preceded by Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell
2009–2013
Succeeded by
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