photographer: megan jane simons © | make-up artist: larizza nieto guzman from art of colors
esther vermolen(she/her)
energy transition lead nam at shell
about
my name is esther and i live in assen with my husband and teenage twin sons. my background is in chemistry and physics. i joined shell 15 years ago in the research department and i have had several roles since then. i currently have a very exciting job as energy transition lead for the nam (an oil and gas producer in the netherlands). i lead an enthusiastic team that investigates how to reduce the environmental footprint of our activities. additionally, we contribute to the energy transition with our knowledge, infrastructure or assets, for example supporting carbon capture and storage (ccs), geothermal or hydrogen.
why do you think it is important that role models need to be visible?
role models can widen your perspective of what career paths are possible with a certain background or personality. when you can identify with a person in a certain job, it is more likely that you would consider the same career path. this can give an ambitious goal that you can work towards. i have experienced myself that i had never pictured myself in a certain position, until i got to know a person in the job that i could relate to, which was a great inspiration and made me rethink my options.
shell
shell has the ambition to become one of the most diverse and inclusive organisations in the world – where everyone feels valued and respected, where the richness of perspectives helps us to create strong connections wherever we do business. our role models can inspire women to take on the exciting challenge of stepping into tech, take on leadership positions or become entrepreneurs. in this way, we can power progress together.