Shell Energy Australia appoints new CIO

Shell Energy Australia has appointed Steve Nichols to the role of chief information officer.

The company announced the appointment in a LinkedIn post. Nichols was previously the company's chief digital and technology officer.

In his new role as CIO, Nichols is "responsible for the digital transformation of our business and a team of more than 100 supporting our industry-leading platforms”, Shell Energy said.

“Steve brings 20 years of leadership experience, with expertise in digital, marketing, strategy, data, analytics, and business operations," it said.

“He is focused on building world-class talent and diverse, high performing teams that create innovative solutions for customers navigating a rapidly decarbonising and digitising energy system."

Nichols joined Shell Energy from ERM Power, which it acquired in 2019.

Prior to that, he spent nearly six years with NBN Co with roles in billing and enterprise information management.

Nichols replaces fellow ERM alumnus Derek McKay, who - after more than a year as Shell Energy's Australian CIO - was appointed executive general manager for offshore wind and generation.

Shell Energy has turned to wind as part of its decarbonisation strategy, and on April 1 took a 49 percent stake in WestWind Energy Development, which has 2GW of existing wind generation and a 3GW project pipeline in the works.