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When Anirudh graduated with a computer science degree in 2010 in Thiruvananthapuram, his first leap was to a multinational IT company as an app developer for retail systems. The next eight years saw him grow in both skill and experience, transitioning to work in more complex business analytics roles in Malaysia and Canada. In 2019 he made the move to Shell as a business analyst for retail systems.

“When I joined Shell, I was quite surprised to learn how large their IT division was,” Anirudh confesses. He didn’t have a lot of Shell stations in his hometown and the local energy companies offered limited retail options, he explains. However, his first experience with a Shell site in Bangalore left him surprised. “It was incredibly high end, like those at major convenience store chains across the world.”

Currently, Anirudh works as a business analyst for the Central Europe market. “I’m helping develop and implement self-checkout machines for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, so I’ve been able to travel to our sites at those locations. This is just the latest in a few projects that I will see to fruition. Experiencing the results of our efforts is a joy I cannot express. You get to go travel to places and see how your work is being used on the ground.”

And though the work is intense, Anirudh says he’s never been happier with his work-life balance. “When working at a software service company, you cater to the clients, and that often means stretching yourself when a deliverable doesn’t go as planned. At Shell, the business, leaders, and stakeholders all ensure that your work-life balance is properly managed no matter what kind of work is on the line. They keep track of projects to ensure you’re not overloaded. Shell shows that it cares about employees.”

Anirudh loves the day-to-day challenges his role has to offer but it’s the people he works with that he appreciates the most. “You have all these smart people working from all over the world with specific ideas they want to be implemented, working with you. Engaging with all of them is a great learning opportunity, it’s what drives me.”

And all these brilliant minds around the world, Anirudh says, the ‘Powering Progress’ initiative is of the highest importance. “Powering Progress is something we hold close to our hearts. For every project we work on, it’s our North Star. We think about how we can help Shell in its goals like the aim to become a Net-Zero emissions business.”

Well settled and entrenched in the Shell culture, when talking to recruits, Anirudh looks for proactiveness and eagerness to pick up tasks and complete them. “I admire people that take ownership of tasks and drive them to completion without micromanagement. That’s why I’m so happy to have managers that enable me to be a leader. Thanks to the freedom on offer, I’ve learned how to better handle confrontation, and manage escalation with stakeholders.”

A happy Anirudh doesn’t see himself changing companies anytime soon. “I know 10 years from now I still want to be working at Shell. Of course, I’ve been in retail and site systems for a long time now, so perhaps I’d like to shift to a more leadership role. One where I have a larger say about how Shell sites are evolving and what technology we put into place. Something that lets me help lead Shell to achieve its Powering Progress vision.”

His post-retirement plans, however, are a lot more radical. “Post retirement, I want to buy an electric autorickshaw and just work as an auto driver in Bangalore. I expect to be financially stable of course, but that wouldn’t be for the money. I just want to drive people around, meet new faces, talk to them and hear new stories. I can’t think of anything that would make my retirement sweeter.”