Businessman director president
Routs received a Masters of Chemical Engineering degree from the in the Netherlands in 1969. Following a research assignment at the University of Stockholm medical facility, he returned to the Technical University of Eindhoven, where he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in Technical Sciences in 1971.
He is a former executive of Royal Dutch Shell and has recently been appointed Chairman of AEGON. He has held a number of positions at Shell including Exploration and Production, Montreal Refinery, Scotford Refinery, Vice President Manufacturing and Distribution Shell Canada, President Shell Canada Oil Products, Head Shell International Research and Technology Services Group Oil Products, Chief Executive Equilon. After Shell acquired Texaco"s ownership in Equilon he became the President and Chief Executive Officer of Shell Oil Products United States. He was also President of Shell Oil Company United States and country Chair Shell United States. Routs became a Group Managing Director and joined the Committee of Managing Directors (now replaced by the Executive Committee) in July 2003. He was named Executive Director Shell Downstream Business in 2004.
He was succeeded by Mark Williams who reported to Routs as Executive Vice President of Supply and Distribution.
In February 2009 he was selected to replace Dudley Eustace as Chairman of the insurance and pension group AEGON in 2010. In December 2010, he was appointed to the Board of Directors for Architecture, Engineering, Consultancy, Operations & Maintenance.
He will join the Architecture, Engineering, Consultancy, Operations & Maintenance Board"s Audit, Nominating and Governance as well as its Planning, Finance and Investments committees.
He retired from this position and as a Group Managing Director and member of the executive committee of Shell at the end of 2008.
