Shell Boss Wael Sawan on Tough Calls, Regret and Leading Through Uncertainty
Leaders with Francine Lacqua
Bloomberg
4.6 • 64 Ratings
🗓️ 13 April 2026
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Shell Chief Executive Officer Wael Sawan joins Francine Lacqua to discuss the oil major's controversial strategy around the energy transition, and fostering a culture that shifts from “all-knowing” to “all-learning.” He reflects on navigating volatility in the global energy system, emphasizing disciplined decision-making and focusing on what leaders can influence going forward. This interview was recorded on Dec. 11, 2025
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | I'm CNN tech reporter Claire Duffy. |
| 0:03.2 | I cover artificial intelligence and other new technologies for a living. |
| 0:10.7 | And even I sometimes get overwhelmed trying to keep up with it all and stay safe in the process. |
| 0:16.7 | On the podcast, Terms of Service, we can explore how to experiment with these new tools |
| 0:21.5 | without getting played by them. |
| 0:24.6 | Listen to CNN's Terms of Service |
| 0:26.4 | wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:32.5 | Bloomberg Audio Studios, |
| 0:34.9 | Podcasts, Radio News. |
| 0:46.9 | Somebody in the organization made a call, and I respect that. |
| 0:49.7 | I mean, are we going to get these calls right every day? |
| 0:54.0 | There's 100 calls we've made to exit stuff that actually didn't end up being successful. |
| 0:58.6 | Do you regret it or do you deal with what you can control, which is what do we have ahead of us? |
| 1:01.2 | And I am much more of a philosophy. |
| 1:03.1 | Focus on what you can control. |
| 1:07.2 | Makes life much easier because then you can actually look forward rather than keep looking back. |
| 1:17.5 | I'm Francie Lacquins, and this is Leaders, the podcast that really explores what drives the world's most influential people. |
| 1:19.9 | This week's episode is Wailsa-Wan, the chief executive of Shell, Europe's largest oil company. |
| 1:25.3 | We spoke at the end of last year, because when you have an opportunity to speak to the chief |
| 1:30.3 | executive of Europe's largest oil company, you take it. |
| 1:33.3 | So the conversation was before the US attack on Venezuela and its capture of President Maduro, |
| 1:38.3 | and it was also before the US-Israel war with Iran. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Bloomberg, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Bloomberg and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.

