Advertorial: A chance to shine - project management at Shell Pernis Refinery

Colette Legein, a qualified Chemical Engineer and Project Manager at Shell, has worked in the oil and gas industry since 1992. Nine years ago she joined Shell.

“With other companies the work was just as interesting, but I felt as soon as you were doing well you could be pushed into the next role without any consideration of your preferences,” says Colette. “I wanted to have a voice in my career path and the placements I work on”.

Work-life balance

Colette, who has a partner and two children, considered work-life balance when choosing her employer. “As long as I deliver the results, my working arrangement at Shell is quite flexible. I work from home one or two days a week on some projects, and I find it helps me better manage work when I combine hectic office hours with concentrated time at home.”

In 2010, Colette heard about a big planned project at Europe’s largest refinery, Pernis, located at the water’s edge in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Pernis refines crude oil into a range of products, including petrol and diesel: each year it processes around 20 million tons of crude oil.