Shell Brands International chairman retires

Veteran Shell marketer Raoul Pinnell is retiring at the end of the month after ten years with the oil giant.

Pinnell, who is chairman of Shell Brands International, says he will return to the UK from Switzerland and concentrate on a number of non-executive roles.

Shell moved Pinnell, who was previously vice-president of global marketing and communications, to his current role three years ago when it set up Shell Brands International to oversee its global brands and trademarks (MW May 6, 2004).

Pinnell, a former marketer at Heinz, NestlÈ and Prudential, joined Shell from NatWest in 1997. He introduced a “customer data driven” approach to marketing and consolidated Shell’s global advertising from 35 agencies into JWT during his time at the company.

Pinnell is well known in marketing circles and last year he was part of the three-man committee that drew up a shortlist of candidates to replace Malcolm Earnshaw as the director-general of the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers. Former Coca-Cola and Guinness marketer Mike Hughes was eventually appointed to the role.