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Andrew Mackenzie (businessman) facts for kids

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Sir Andrew Mackenzie

Dr Andrew Mackenzie FRS.jpg
Mackenzie in 2014
Born
Andrew Stewart Mackenzie

(1956-12-20) 20 December 1956 (age 68)
St Albans, England, United Kingdom
Education
Occupation Chairman Shell plc
Employer
  • BP
  • Rio Tinto Group
  • BHP Billiton
Spouse(s) Liz Allan
Children 2
Scientific career
Thesis Applications of biological marker compounds to subsurface geological processes (1981)

Sir Andrew Stewart Mackenzie (born 20 December 1956) is a Scottish businessman. He is currently the chairman of Shell plc. Shell is a very large energy company. Before this, he was the CEO of BHP Billiton. BHP Billiton is one of the world's biggest mining companies. He took over as CEO in 2013 and left the role in 2020.

Early Life and Education

Andrew Stewart Mackenzie was born in December 1956. He grew up in a town called Kirkintilloch in Scotland. He went to the University of St Andrews. There, he earned a top degree in geology in 1977. Geology is the study of Earth's physical structure and substances. He then studied at the University of Bristol. He received a PhD in organic chemistry in 1981.

Career Journey

After his studies, Mackenzie worked as a research scientist. He was a fellow with the British Geological Society. He also worked at the Nuclear Research Centre in Germany. As a scientist, he wrote over 50 research papers.

In 1983, Mackenzie joined BP. BP is a major oil and gas company. He worked in different parts of BP. He eventually became a senior leader in their petrochemicals division. He spent 22 years working at BP.

In 2004, Mackenzie moved to Rio Tinto. This is another large mining company. He led their industrial minerals division. Later, he became the chief executive for their diamonds and minerals business.

In 2007, Mackenzie joined BHP Billiton. He became the chief executive of their non-ferrous metals division. Non-ferrous metals are metals that do not contain iron. In May 2013, he became the CEO of BHP Billiton. As CEO, he was in charge of the entire company. He left this role at the start of 2020.

In March 2021, Mackenzie was chosen to be the chairman of Royal Dutch Shell. As chairman, he leads the company's board of directors. In June 2021, he was also selected to lead UK Research and Innovation. This organization supports research and innovation in the UK.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2014, Mackenzie was made a fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected scientific group. Being a fellow means he is recognized for his important work in science. The Royal Society noted his contributions to geochemistry. This is the study of the chemistry of the Earth. They also recognized his leadership in the energy and mining industries.

Mackenzie was also made a knight in 2020. This means he can use the title "Sir" before his name. He received this honor for his services to business, science, and technology. It also recognized his efforts in UK and Australia relations.

Personal Life

Sir Andrew Mackenzie can speak five different languages. He met his wife, Liz Allan, when they were students at Saint Andrews University. They have two daughters together.

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