Voser is a Swiss-born finance specialist who rose through the ranks at Shell and took the top job in mid-2009. Since then he has increasingly focused the giant Dutch energy company on natural gas, which is expected to account for more than half of Shell's production by next year. Shell is the leader in liquid natural-gas production, with vast, technically challenging operations on Russia's Sakhalin Island and in Australia, to name only two. Unlike rival ConocoPhillips, which spun off all its refineries this year, Shell remains an integrated energy company with strong presence in both refining and chemical manufacturing. Voser supported the failed U.S. legislative effort to create a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions, which he argued would provide much-needed regulatory certainty.
He rescued the coffee chain. It had record financial results this year. Now the CEO is on a campaign to save the country from its politicians. Here's how he blends capitalism and activism.
