Shell's Gretchen Watkins Talks Challenges and Inspiration for Women in the C-Suite Ahead of Rise to the Top

Published Feb 27, 2020 by A.J. Mistretta

As President of Shell Oil Company, Gretchen Watkins oversees the U.S. operations of one of the world’s leading energy companies. She took on the Houston-based role, managing Shell’s roughly 20,000 U.S. employees, in 2019. In a field where men have traditionally dominated the c-suite, Watkins established herself early as a leader capable of negotiating deals from the Gulf of Mexico to energy regions around the world. Thirty years after launching her career with Amoco Corporation, she has keen perspective on what it means to grow as a female leader and pave the way for the next generation of women in leadership.

Watkins will share some of that perspective in a keynote address at the 9th annual Rise to the Top, an event hosted by the Partnership’s Women’s Business Alliance celebrating International Women’s Day. We asked her to share a few of her thoughts ahead of the event on March 6.

What motivates you in your day to day work?

I’m very motivated by the challenge of trying to build a sustainable energy future. One of the main reasons I came to work for Shell was our vision for “Thriving through the Energy Transition.” Before I joined the Shell team, I saw a company that was really putting itself out there and trying to win in this space. And since arriving in 2018, I’ve really enjoyed taking a leadership role in this enterprise – developing commercially viable solutions to the changing demands of our customers.

What do you see as the most significant barrier to female leadership?

Sometimes people perceive women hires as greater risks. So many times in my career I’ve seen women considered for a role that would be a promotion. Then the decision board decides to put the woman in the role without the promotion. And they say it’s to make sure they “protect her.” If a man got the role and the promotion last time, then it’s no greater risk to give a woman candidate that opportunity.

What are some keys for women who want to be better mentors to other women?

I would say that rather than mentor, start to sponsor women! This means being advocates for them behind closed doors when they aren’t in the room. If you are in a position of influence – and many women today are – then start using that influence to make a difference and make sure that the women you are mentoring are also the women who are getting the opportunities when decisions are being made.

What woman most inspires you?

Anna Catalano (retired executive with BP and its predecessor Amoco Corporation). She was a very early mentor of mine, and she pushed me into big, meaty leadership roles early in my career. She’s since become such an amazing woman business leader and I look up to her in many ways.

What do you believe will be the biggest challenge for the next generation of aspiring female leaders?

I think each generation of women faces the challenge of moving forward, not backward. Because the moment we take for granted that the progress we’ve made toward equality and parity is permanent, that’s when we’re at risk of losing ground.

You’re going to share some of the leadership lessons you’ve learned throughout your career at Rise to the Top. What’s just one of those you can share here?

It’s important to hold yourself to high standards but often when a woman is the first to hold a job – or just one of the few women in her role – she feels pressure to be perfect. As if she carries the burden of the gender. But you’re a human being. You’re allowed to make mistakes. Just like men are.

Learn more about the Rise to the Top event and about the Women's Business Alliance. And get more details about the Partnership's other Business Resource Groups.