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For heavy-duty fleet operators, there is a science to getting the job done as efficiently as possible. Routing, fuel usage, loading and unloading, managing driver wellbeing and safety, vehicle maintenance… all these elements (and more) combine to create the conditions for optimal heavy-duty road transport operations.

As fleet operators navigate the energy transition, businesses will need support from the actual scientists to make sure the road to decarbonisation is smooth and does not disrupt the delicate balance of their operations.

For Dr. Brown, the journey began with a music scholarship before a change of course at college.

“I went to college on a music scholarship to be a music profession major for tuba,” he says. However, because of a technical issue around taking lessons, he decided to change his major to chemistry, a subject he’d always been fascinated by and grown to love in high school thanks to one of his teachers.

There was no looking back. From there, Dr. Brown graduated with honours, became accredited by the American Chemical Society (ACS) and went on to further study. “During my PhD, I was lucky enough to work on an exciting lithium-ion battery project with General Motors,” he says. "Then I worked at Lubrizol and got my first taste of working in lubricants development before transitioning to Shell.”

Now, as a technology development leader, Dr. Brown looks after a wide range of lubricant applications, from heavy-duty engine oils to e-fluids. “In my current role, I’m accountable for all of the product development areas that don't include passenger car, motor oil and motorcycle oil,” says Dr. Brown. “Before that, I was the global technology manager for heavy-duty engine oil. And I think that has been critical to me being a better general manager because I understand what the technology teams are doing.”

Regardless of his own experience and expertise, Dr. Brown is eager to emphasise that he is far from alone in his lubricants development work – and that innovation at Shell is a team sport.

“The truth is there’s no way I could do my job if I didn’t have so many talented technology managers working with me,” he says. “I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best minds in the industry – people I’ve known for a long time and who have decades of experience behind them.”

The expertise and passion that Dr. Brown and his team bring to solving customer challenges every day ensures the products and services that they develop for Shell meet or exceed the latest industry standards – along with the additional requirements of leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). This depth of experience does not just drive innovation internally – it directly benefits customers. With an experienced team and a leader who understands the chemistry and work that goes into creating lubricants, the products delivered are not only technologically advanced but also truly aligned with the real-world needs of Shell’s customers.

The teams that Dr. Brown works with are essential to the ongoing evolution of Shell’s lubricants portfolio. Without their innovation, it would be more difficult for transport customers to adapt to changing industry needs and standards.

Dr. Brown illustrates this with a project from his own time as a Global Technology Manager. “I helped launch our CK-4 engine oil portfolio, which is a range of high-temperature, high-shear lubricants,” he says. “They had a tremendous impact on the Shell Rotella and Shell Rimula products, which provide greater protection for newer, more fuel-efficient diesel engines.”

The CK-4 product range is a helpful example of the depth of Shell’s portfolio, which is an important element for Dr. Brown. “The best thing that you can do for a customer is to be able to offer them the products that address all of their needs,” he says.

“Most importantly, if a customer has built trust around one specific part of your portfolio, you need the ability to extend that trust to all the products in the portfolio,” he explains. “It means customers can address the problems they have with equipment holistically, rather than focusing on just one part of the system.”

Thorough product testing is not the only way that Dr. Brown and his teams are able to build trust in Shell’s lubricant products. The development process itself plays an important role in establishing trust, including working with organisations across the industry to better understand shifting customer needs.

“I think we have something at Shell that's unique compared to many of our competitors – a role we call Product Application Specialist,” says Dr. Brown. “These are people whose job it is to foster relationships with OEMs, large customers, and even industry bodies so we can create a conduit for sharing information in both directions.”

He also explains how this can shape the wider industry’s response to challenges while strengthening Shell’s technology leadership.

“In 2027, we’ll see a new American Petroleum Institute (API) category introduced for heavy-duty engine oils,” he says. “This new category – proposed category 12, or ‘PC-12’ – will be the basis for developing the next generation of these oils. One of our Product Application Specialists, Karin Haumann, is the chair of the team creating this new category. Her involvement in this industry change is just one example of how Shell teams are helping to lead innovation.”

It also shows that Shell is right there helping to unlock the next phase of innovation in lubricant technology. As Dr. Brown says, “we’re not a company that sits back and accepts change; we’re out there helping to move the industry forward.”

Another way in which Dr. Brown and his teams are helping to shape the future of transport is by working with customers to deliver on the energy transition.

A common concern among customers about low-viscosity lubricants is their ability to maintain critical attributes like wear protection. It is why Shell works with OEMs to design products that deliver protection and improved fuel economy. And viscosity is not the only factor that matters. Higher-quality lubricants can provide other benefits, such as helping to reduce the impact of particulate matter.

“Particulate matter can be bad for after-treatment devices, but a higher-quality lubricant can offer greater protection,” Dr. Brown explains. “And it doesn’t stop there. Nitrous oxide (or NOx) is a type of tailpipe emission that you can reduce by using a high-performance lubricant.”

Yet, decarbonisation is about more than simply reducing fuel usage in internal combustion engines. It is also about supporting the wider energy transition.

“We’re developing the lubricants that help customers make the most of their decarbonisation solutions,” says Dr. Brown. “For example, our e-fluids portfolio is designed to protect electric vehicles (EVs). But that’s not the only area. We’re talking about lubricants for things like data centres – where liquid cooling can replace air cooling. They’re all examples of how lubricants can contribute to a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy.”

As fleets work to become more efficient, Dr. Brown wants his work to have a positive effect on the future. “We want to be impactful in the energy transition,” he says. “We're advocates. We want to work within the industry, helping to move the conversation forward with a focus on our customers’ needs.”

Again, for Dr. Brown, it all comes back to trust. “To be part of the conversation, you need to gain the trust of your customers – and you don’t get that trust if you’re not delivering consistent performance,” he explains. “Our consistent performance is built on the fact that we speak constantly to customers, OEMs and industry bodies. So, as decarbonisation becomes a bigger part of the conversation, we’re in a stronger position to help the industry deliver a successful energy transition.”