Name: Mike Shi
Degree: Economics, UCL
Role: Credit Analyst
Joined: July 2008

Why was Shell the right choice for you?

I’ve always been intrigued by the various psychological, technological, and geo-political factors affecting global oil prices. I wanted to get to first-hand experience of working in a challenging environment, dealing with commodities which I have an interest in.

What sets Shell apart from the other majors is the organisation’s investment in future technologies, both in terms of advanced oil extraction and also the next generation of fuels. In today’s economic and ecological climate, what could be more important?

What does your current job involve?

My main job involves monitoring credit exposures to counterparties which the Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (STASCO) is trading with, to ensure that exposures are monitored and managed. I also propose credit lines to give to counterparties which take account of various STASCO business and company financial factors.

To be successful in this sort of role, you’ve got to have a strong willingness to learn from all the mistakes you’re going to make early on. It’s also important to be prepared to study for the professional qualifications you’ll need to open up your future career.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve been involved in so far?

I spent some time working on the development of new models to take account of various factors in the assessment of clean development mechanisms to incorporate carbon emissions trading exposures.

What made this work particularly interesting was the fact that no one really knows about this new market, so I was involved in many ground-breaking discussions before we reached a successful agreement.

What’s the next thing you want to achieve at Shell?

As part of the Shell Finance Graduate scheme, I’ll spend two more years in the management information team, working on the preparation of both management and financial accounts. At the moment, the most important thing is to learn about the business and how to make a real contribution to the team’s work.

My colleagues are always ready to have a discussion and provide support, and Shell provide weekly training sessions where you can learn a lot about the other divisions in STASCO and how they relate to each other.