Issue link: https://tmcpulse.uberflip.com/i/425954
t m c ยป p u l s e | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 30 inDUSTRy SPOTLighT Q | Can you tell us about your formative years? A | My childhood is best characterized by living in many places in different countries in different environ- ments. I think it contributed to me being more open to different ways of living and seeing that there are multiple ways a society can be organized. I believe this played a role in me being open to different approaches and appreciating differences. Q | Where did you grow up? A | I was born in Singapore and I lived in my early childhood in Kenya in Africa. In my teenage years, I lived in the Caribbean on a small island, so I had a lot of different experiences. I'm Dutch, as you can hear from my accent, but I think living in many locations shaped me in looking at many situations with different eyes. And I still travel a lot today. The Netherlands is a small country, so you are almost forced to travel because as you turn around, you are at the border. I've been to many countries and I really enjoy experienc- ing different cultures and seeing how societies are organized in different ways. People approach prob- lems in different ways. It's kind of cool. Q | What brought you to Shell? A | I studied chemistry and got a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. Actually, my original ambition was to become a medical doctor. But in the Netherlands, there was a lottery to determine access to med school, since a small country can only accommodate a relatively small amount of doctors. So I decided to study chemistry and I enjoyed it so much that I never went back to enrolling in the lottery again. I really enjoyed understanding how molecules interact with each other and how that can be influenced. What attracted me to Shell compared to other companies was the opportunity to post for a variety of positions within the company. Once the assignment length is met, you can apply for a totally different posi- tion. It is extremely compelling to me because after a few years there is a risk that a job becomes a routine and that is, for me, the time to look for new and exciting work. Q | Your current job title interesting. A | It's GameChanger. It's a game-changing title which opens many doors, because people are anxious to know what this is all about. My current role in Shell is to invest in people with unproven ideas that have the potential to drastically impact the energy future. with a JoB title liKe gamechanger, it's no surprise that hEnk MOOIwEER, Ph.d., thinKs Big every day. as a part of the shell gamechanger program, mooiweer helps quicKly and efficiently test innovative ideas that have commercial potential. he sat down with tmc news to discuss why a gloBal energy leader is investing in disruptive technologies, and how addressing challenges facing the energy industry could Benefit the medical community.