Yasmin’s Story

The above picture was taken in the reception area of the recently opened Bangalore Technology Centre. The people around me are colleagues I work closely with, and each of them brings something unique to the team. Building relationships and being surrounded by people you can trust and respect is essential, and I’m lucky to have great people around me in Shell.

The reception area typifies the kind of message we’re trying to get across in the new Technology Centre - that we’re in a fast-paced, progressive environment, and are constantly looking to embrace the latest technologies. There’s a strong community spirit here, and that’s something I believe is incredibly important. Everyone wants to do their best and work as a team, and it’s amazing being around people that are always willing to offer help and assistance.

We like to organise team outings often, because it definitely helps bring us closer together as a team. This particular image was taken during a trip to an indoor activity centre, where you can play cricket, bowling, and many other sports. Whenever foreign colleagues come to Bangalore, we try to do things like this. We once went to an escape room, where we solved clues within a certain time limit to complete the game. It got people to work together to tackle a difficult challenge. We managed to get out, but with only a few seconds to go!

Something I really enjoy about working at Shell is that there’s so much diversity. Not only that, but the company makes a point of celebrating different cultures and making sure that everyone feels included. This picture was taken on World Ethnic Day. I’m wearing traditional clothing that is representative of the area where I grew up. Every state in India has different fashions and styles, and it was great to see such a variety of colours and designs. My husband, who also works at Shell, is on the far left in this image, and we both enjoyed dressing up!

I met up with my old boss for cocktails recently, and that’s when this photo was taken. We met through work, but we’ve since become incredibly good friends. She knows my family, and we’ve kept in touch for many years, even though she lives in the United States. I learned a lot from her, and without her I don’t think I’d be where I am today. Shell is a great place to meet likeminded people; I’ve made so many lifelong friends since joining, and I’m sure I’ll meet more in the future!

This photo was taken at a rooftop lounge in Bangalore. The restaurant has a wide selection of food from all over Asia, but specialises in soft sweet buns. The lady in yellow was our guest, visiting from the Philippines, and I wanted to take her to one of my favourite places.

My daughter absolutely loves taking selfies! If I leave my phone or iPad alone for two seconds, she’ll start taking pictures of herself. I have hundreds of them! My devices are always running out of memory, but I love that there are so many images of her that I can see no matter where I am. I cherish the moments that I am able to spend with my family, and it’s great that Shell values work-life balance as much as I do.

These photos were taken during a trip to the Netherlands, and particularly enjoyed this holiday. On my left are the tulips of Keukenhof. On the right, I’m in Giethoorn, a village famous for having no roads. The only way to get around is by walking or going on the canals. The area is calm and relaxing, and everything happens at a very leisurely pace. Also during this holiday, I got to meet a woman who turned out to be the daughter of Peter Voser, the former CEO of Shell! It was an amazing coincidence.