Biography
Colette Hirstius serves as President of Shell USA, Inc. and Executive Vice President of the Gulf of America. In her role as President Shell USA, she leads the strategic integration of Shell’s diverse US businesses and represents the company in key energy policy and societal discussions. She is responsible for aligning Shell’s US operations with its global strategy, overseeing a portfolio that spans the entire energy value chain—from exploration and production to trading to manufacturing, marketing, and power distribution.
As EVP of the Gulf of America, Colette oversees Shell’s offshore operations in the region, including ten production hubs and a vast subsea infrastructure network, driving performance, safety, and sustainability in one of Shell’s most critical upstream assets.
Colette Hirstius holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Tulane University and a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Colorado. She began her career with Mobil Oil and ExxonMobil before joining Shell in 2003 as a Production Geologist in New Orleans. Over the past two decades, Colette has held senior leadership roles across Shell’s global operations. She began in New Orleans, progressing through Shell’s Gulf of America portfolio before taking on international roles—including Strategy Advisor in the Netherlands, where she helped shape Shell’s first Purpose-led Strategy; a business turnaround lead in Trinidad and Tobago; and Vice President of Exploration for Africa and the Middle East. In 2021, she returned to New Orleans to lead the Gulf of America through a transformative phase focused on low-carbon, competitive energy production. Colette is married to Jason Hirstius, and they have three sons—Otto, Hays, and Quentin. She enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle, cooking, and traveling to new places around the world.
