The Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) is set to retire from the company after a 10-year stint at the helm of affairs in the Nigerian unit of the oil and gas supermajor.

Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, hinted at this yesterday when the Chairman of Shell Companies in Nigeria, Okunbor, visited his office in Abuja to introduce his successor, Mr. Marno de Jong.

“I spent the day engaging with stakeholders in the industry, beginning with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria Limited, followed by Chevron Nigeria Limited.

“The outgoing Managing Director of SPDC, Mr. OsagieOkunbor, introduced his successor, Mr. Marno de Jong, who is currently the Vice President Africa and their team, as they highlighted their investment projected to run into billions of dollars, demonstrating their continued confidence in our energy sector”, Lokpobiri wrote on his official X handle.

Since taking the reins in 2015, Okunbor has become one of the most visible Nigerian faces in the multinational energy space, with his ascent built steadily over three decades within Shell.

The period saw him hold strategic roles in the UK, the Netherlands, Brunei, and Nigeria. Under his leadership, Shell has striven to reposition its Nigerian operators, particularly amid growing challenges—environmental scrutiny, divestments, and shifting regulatory expectations.

A graduate of Business Administration of the University of Benin, he joined the Shell group in June 1986. Okunbor rose through the ranks working primarily in the HR Function until 1996 when he proceeded on an international assignment to the United Kingdom as a Senior Advisor in the Shell London Office.

Between 2002 and 2006, he served as Africa Regional Human Resources Policy Manager, General Manager Human Resources for SPDC and eventually became the Human Resources Director in 2006, a position that placed him on the Board of SPDC.

He was also Vice President, Infrastructure and Logistics for Shell Nigeria (2007-2008) and then Vice President Human Resources, Sub-Saharan Africa (2008-2013). Okunbor was appointed the Managing Director of SPDC and the Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria on March 1, 2015.

Besides, Jong has been Executive Vice President Nigeria since April 1, 2025, responsible for the oversight of Shell’s Companies and operated Joint Ventures (JVs) in Nigeria.

A member of the board of Nigeria LNG, he has more than 25 years of energy company experience through upstream, midstream and downstream leadership positions in the UK, Venezuela, Nigeria, Australia, the US, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Besides, Lokpobiri said he met with Chevron officials, where he took the opportunity to reiterate President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to positioning the oil industry as a globally competitive destination.

“Afterwards, I met with Mr. Clay Neff, President of Chevron International Exploration and Production (E&P), and Mr. Jim Swartz, Chairman and Managing Director of the Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit. I took the opportunity to reiterate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to positioning our oil industry as a globally competitive destination.

“We explored avenues for deepening collaboration, particularly in the deepwater segment, where I encouraged Chevron to scale up its investments. Both engagements reaffirmed the government’s dedication to fostering a stable and attractive environment for long-term energy partnerships,” Lokpobiri added.