RENU SHARMA
Looking toward the future, Chevron is actively using digital technology to drive more value across the entire organization.
BIOGRAPHY
Renu Sharma has 23 years of experience in a variety of roles with increasing responsibilities in Chevron. She joined Texaco in 1996 in Chevron's fuel and marine business. Over the course of her career, she steadily progressed through a series of roles globally outside the US. Between 2011 and 2017, she was based in Singapore, Chevron's headquarters for the downstream and chemicals business operations in Asia Pacific. While in Singapore, she held the roles of advisor to the president of international products and manager of special projects and joint venture board support. She graduated from the University of Mumbai with a bachelor of science in chemistry and completed her executive education program specializing in strategic management from the University of Cambridge in the UK.
How does sustainability factor into Chevron's operations and approach to business in an evolving energy sector?
As a corporation, Chevron is committed to addressing the risks of climate change while delivering sustainable energy benefits to people. We work with policymakers in various parts of the world to address environmental concerns and ensure we have affordable, reliable, and clean energy. In addition, we find innovative ways to meet global energy demand with advanced technologies in the oil and gas space. Our goals reflect the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including our work to enable human progress and help solve global challenges.
How do you balance such sustainability targets with the significant growth in energy demand in this region?
In this part of the world, we are more predominantly active in the downstream space. In the downstream segment, we have channel markets, and one of the main channels for us in this region is aviation, specifically jet fuel. We also work with Dubai Airports on finding more areas where we can contribute toward its long-term sustainability plans and making ourselves visible as an oil company supporting the nation's goal of moving toward a sustainable energy solution within the jet space. Similarly, we look for cleaner energy solutions in relation to our finished lubricant products. Within shipping and the bunker fuel space, the regulations are already changing, and Chevron follows the regulators to make sure we are ready for example, with new low-sulfur spec fuel. Chevron is preparing regionally to comply.
In addition to driving environmental progress, Chevron is driving human progress. How does this relate to enhancing diversity and inclusion?
Diversity and inclusion are two of Chevron's integral values. We consciously and intentionally cultivate a diverse culture where employees can bring their best self to work. This practice fuels high performance within our company. Personally, this is close to my heart because I have participated in several employee engagement networks during my 24 years at Chevron. We strive to treat everyone fairly and give everyone a fair chance, achieving gender parity across the organization. Chevron has adopted Catalyst's Men Advocating Real Change (MARC) program, and we have won awards for it several times. In the Middle East, we just launched our Dubai MARC chapter in September 2019. It is all about men being the real advocates for women because we cannot create sustainable change without engaging men at the senior management and board level. Chevron has MARC chapters all around the globe. Chevron in Dubai is a diverse group. We have about 60 people in this office from 23 nationalities. It is not a zero-sum game for us. We want to put people at ease to deliver their best every day.
How is Chevron leading the charge in advancing innovation and future forward technologies?
At present, we are transforming the way we work at Chevron. Digital innovation is paramount, and we are actively using digital technology to drive more value across the entire organization. Digital innovation is about empowering our people to make better and faster decisions. We are also leveraging new technologies to make faster and better decisions, giving us an edge to compete for the future. Digital acceleration is one of our key strategic imperatives. Our approach to digital innovation includes top-down support that goes all the way down from our CEO and senior executives. We have a dedicated team working to ensure this cascades down to every aspect of our business and every country where we operate. We have to change the way we do things, and I believe we are.
RENU SHARMA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Former Minister of Economy,
The ministry's way forward is to spur more international collaboration, whether inside the country through FDI flows and encouraging foreign entrepeneurship or outside the country through China's highly-valued Belt and Road Initiative.
read articleInterview
Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General, Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA)
In addition to pursuing an aggressively innovative trade and industrial policy, DAFZA is working behind the scenes to boost Dubai's role as the world's most dynamic hub for global halal services.
read articleInterview
Hatem Sleiman, Regional Vice-President, Head of Network, Middle East and South Asia, Western Union
Technology, globalization, and migration will ensure that no matter the nationalization policies carried out by regional governments, the remittance spout is unlikely to dry up any time soon.
read articleInterview
Hamdan AlShamsi, Senior Partner, Hamdan AlShamsi Lawyers & Legal Consultants
With the expected increase of business in the region, Hamdan AlShamsi Lawyers & Legal Consultants stands ready to assist new or current businesses with the implementation of ideas and the protection of IP.
read articleInterview
Marwan Bin Haidar, Executive Vice President of Innovation and the Future, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
Through its digital arm, DEWA seeks to disrupt the entire business of public utilities by becoming the world's first digital utility to use autonomous systems for renewable energy and storage.
read articleInterview
Will Goodwin, Managing Director, The Priory Group
Social media can lead to living a virtual life, with limited face-to-face interaction, avoidance, and often misconstrued reality. This may lead to mental health-related issues such as depression, loss of individual value, low confidence, and anxiety.
read articleInterview
Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Dubai Duty Free (DDF)
One of the leading airport retailers in the world, DDF currently operates some 40,000sqm of retail space at Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, reporting sales over USD2.029 billion in 2019.
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