Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Timeline
Generic
Steven Osborne

Steven Osborne

Aberdeen

Summary

Highly respected, trusted, team player, extremely diligent and delivers work to a high standard across multiple contract portfolios simultaneously. Confident communicator, builds strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Recognised by stakeholders for being cost conscious and highlighting where efficiencies in delivery could be made.

Overview

23
23
years of professional experience

Work history

Supply Chain Lead - Offshore Wind

Shell International Limited
Aberdeen
04.2023 - Current
  • Worked closely with lead EIA contractor to improve cost transparency, resolve commercial challenges, and establish viable path forward that aligned with business objectives and safeguarded value.
  • Consistently provide strong and proactive contractual oversight, often being first to identify potential risks and issues within contracts and agreements. This support has been especially critical given the Joint Venture (JV) does not have dedicated legal counsel acting on its behalf. Often finding the pathway forward to deliver for the business. Examples: Aviation standards, Lead EIA contract.
  • Actively supported and tested build of the JV’s procurement system, providing valuable input to ensure functionality, compliance, and alignment with operational needs. Took proactive steps to understand JV partner's systems and processes to identify and address any assurance gaps relative to Shell standards.
  • Maintained high levels of performance and stability during periods of organisational and project uncertainty, demonstrating resilience, adaptability, and a solutions-focused approach.

SC Commercial Specialist Production

Shell U.K. Limited
Aberdeen
01.2019 - 03.2023
  • Entrusted with strategic contracts including crane services, inspection and fabric maintenance, protecting and delivering value through diligent commercial challenge and pro-active post award contract management. This helped to deliver savings in excess of $1m per annum.
  • Developed and implemented contract strategy to deliver fabric maintenance backlog reduction targets for Shearwater under a commercially accountable model. This delivered a 10% reduced cost per m2 and provided opportunity to successfully trial new technologies e.g., V-Deck.
  • Shell Contract Lead on multi-party DSVi contract. Collaborated with contract holder, legal and other collective members to build position around several disputes raised by contractor. Stepping up to support the chair by clearly articulating that position during facilitated mediation session helping to repair relationship and allow partnership to move forwards.
  • Adapted to repeated change of contract holder within portfolio by taking ownership of many aspects of contract management providing an end-to-end service e.g., driving improvement agenda with the crane services supplier to deliver improved ways of working that were confirmed by the business.

Senior Project Accountant (Brent)

Shell U.K. Limited
Aberdeen
07.2013 - 12.2018
  • Created and maintained strong working relationships within the project, and externally supporting colleagues from wells where some competences were wanting. Through inquiry and challenge of VOWD, issues were identified, and action was taken to improve the process. This included working with the main contractor to review working practices to improve quality and timing of their input.
  • Worked across organisational and country boundaries demonstrating an appreciation of different cultures, motivations, and constraints. One example being successfully negotiating and implementing a process involving several Shell Group companies to facilitate a payment to NASA for critical scope.
  • Demonstrated ability to successfully offshore transactional activities including all monthly Management Information, ensuring that once implemented there was no discernible reduction in quality. This was achieved through regular review and follow up to address areas for improvement while supporting the drive to improve business knowledge in Finance Operations by placing a project context around their activities.
  • Facilitated regular project risk review meetings prompting accountable parties to ensure timely mitigation and close out.
  • Responsible for the maintenance and implementation of Financial Controls Framework for the Decommissioning Services Contract (DSC). As project progressed DSC a change in strategy significantly reduced contract value. Framework was reviewed with Supply Chain, Project Services and Contract Holder to ensure that it was scaled to reflect the reduced exposure (risk).
  • While supporting Supply Chain with finance input to logistics contract strategy and award papers, recognised an opportunity for closer and more effective collaboration between the functions and established regular connects to share information to reduce risk of surprises.

Project Accountant

Shell U.K. Limited
Aberdeen
06.2009 - 06.2013
  • Finance Lead on several projects (often concurrently) including Penguins Redevelopment, Brent Charlie Restart, Brent Bypass, Pipeline Integrity, and Pierce. Worked collaboratively with project management and integrated with other finance functions where required e.g., Financial Accounting on complex cost classification issues on Brent Charlie Restart and Brent Bypass. Working across a large portfolio required proactive anticipation of potential relationship issues and management of expectations where priorities conflicted.
  • Involvement in the Cost and Schedule Risk Assessments (CSRA) using risk register to determine potential impact on cost and schedule to derive a risked estimate. Provided finance input and challenge to include advice on finance processes that may have an impact e.g., financial impact of waiting on weather and vessel idle time and assured adequate discussion was afforded to each risk.
  • Prepared several investment proposals including delivery of Pierce C1 to schedule significantly accelerated from plan. Early engagement with stakeholders facilitated a smooth and prompt turnaround. Positive feedback received from capital budgeting on quality of finished proposal.
  • Collaborated closely with Supply Chain to drive value from contracts, identifying risks and exposures and ensured mitigating actions were taken. Examples include vendor financial assessments, CPCR on the Underwater Services Contract and regular guidance and support to requisition to pay.
  • Sought out and implemented process improvements, examples include successfully supporting incorporation of the subsea vessel cost allocations into the logistics multi-venture audit scope significantly reducing the amount of repeat audit preparation throughout the year, and enhancing cost transparency by loading annual budget at vessel level to allow use of standard reports - an improvement on the earlier customised spreadsheets.

Financial and Reporting Analyst

Shell U.K. Limited
Aberdeen
05.2005 - 06.2009
  • Co-ordination and preparation of monthly financials and non-financials for UK upstream operations required regular engagement with the business and other focal points across Europe.
  • Presented financial updates to company leadership and externally to Group auditors requiring full understanding and justification of the results.
  • Migrated monthly reporting activities to Finance Operations including preparation of work instructions and training materials that were delivered in Krakow. This was to be a European process requiring consolidation and minimisation of country specific step outs. To achieve without generating significant extra work or compromising integrity of results, regular engagements were held with colleagues across Europe to ensure consequences for end-to-end process and data performance were both understood and mitigated.
  • Produced capex page of the monthly business performance reports issued to senior leaders, working closely with the Technical Directorate Finance Manager and Project Accountants across Europe (building strong working relations; and significantly developed knowledge of the business) improved transparency, drawing attention to key issues to support decision making.

Joint Venture Accountant

Shell U.K. Limited
Aberdeen
02.2002 - 04.2005
  • Joint venture subject matter expert to Enterprise Stabilisation Project (post acquisition reconciliation of balance sheets between accounting systems) and SAP Blueprint upgrade.
  • Hosted external venture audits, promptly responding to information requests. Knowledge and experience of end-to-end processes in SAP allowed prompt advice as to how transactions may impact joint venture.
  • Maintained constructive relations with the finance representatives from venture partners through regular meetings to discuss financial matters including business plan and funding updates, material spend, and working capital balances.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Business Studies

Robert Gordon University
Aberdeen
05.2001

Skills

  • Trusted and valued business partner
  • High level of personal integrity
  • Works seamlessly across organisational boundaries
  • Strong focus on commercial risk and value delivery
  • Readily adapts to changing demands
  • End to end knowledge of commercial processes and systems
  • Adept at defining and implementing transparent management information
  • Builds and maintains constructive relationships with contractors

Timeline

Supply Chain Lead - Offshore Wind

Shell International Limited
04.2023 - Current

SC Commercial Specialist Production

Shell U.K. Limited
01.2019 - 03.2023

Senior Project Accountant (Brent)

Shell U.K. Limited
07.2013 - 12.2018

Project Accountant

Shell U.K. Limited
06.2009 - 06.2013

Financial and Reporting Analyst

Shell U.K. Limited
05.2005 - 06.2009

Joint Venture Accountant

Shell U.K. Limited
02.2002 - 04.2005

Bachelor of Arts - Business Studies

Robert Gordon University

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Steven Osborne