Marvin E. Odum is retired president of Shell Oil Company and Upstream Director of Royal Dutch Shell’s subsidiary companies in the Americas. Odum directed a broad portfolio, from traditional oil and gas development to emerging technologies in a wide range of areas, including heavy oil, onshore gas, light tight oil, deepwater, wind and biofuels.

He began his Shell career as an engineer in 1982, and has since served in a number of management positions of increasing responsibility in both technical and commercial aspects of energy. His role involved engaging with public, private, media and non-governmental leaders on a wide range of energy policy issues. He is charged with establishing and advocating innovative, industry-leading solutions to the challenge of securing safe, secure and sustainable energy sources.

Odum is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and holds positions of board leadership and participation in the Business Roundtable and the American Petroleum Institute, and is on the executive committee of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. In addition, he is a member of the Dean’s Council of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Advisory Board of the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He also serves on the University Cancer Foundation Board of Visitors for MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Odum earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Houston.