Lyn Lee, Shell's first female, Asian head of diversity, equity and inclusion, on the complexities of her role

As the global chief DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) officer at Shell PLC, Lyn Lee has had her fair share of foot-in-mouth moments. She was in London to speak at the 2021 Business Disability Forum Smart Awards, where Shell was a finalist. During the coffee break, another conference attendee asked her where the milk was. Without thinking twice, she pointed it out. 

“The waiter serving the beverage looked at me, and told me that the person who asked me was visually impaired,” she says with a sheepish smile. “For a split second, I felt embarrassed, like I was an imposter. I was attending a conference on disability inclusion, [with] the research that my organisation had sponsored. How could I have missed the nuance of a person who needed my help at the coffee line?” 

This anecdote perhaps best encapsulates what Lyn does as DEI officer at Shell, and also highlights the complexities of the role. 

She had been at Shell for 15 years, undertaking various HR and operations roles, before being asked to take on this role five years ago. The DEI role had seen a revolving door of candidates, and Lyn was not sure about what she could do differently, and whether she would have any impact. After being asked for the third time, Lyn decided to introspect: “I started thinking, maybe there was a reason I had been asked. I was told that I have the right insights and background to do this job well.” 

She says: “I started to consider how I could use the privilege of being appointed as chief DEI officer to make a difference and create a positive impact on others. It made me think about my purpose in life, and the legacy that I wish to leave behind. As a mother, I also wanted to be a role model for my [two] daughters.” 

The diversity, equity and inclusion space is one that’s ever-evolving, with changing generations and changing conversations, and it requires empathy, listening, understanding, and an ability to work with the unknown. 

Lyn explains: “Diversity is about all the ways we are different, such as race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, age, culture, thinking styles, and so on. Inclusion is consciously and actively responding, embracing and valuing the uniqueness of each other as a source of our strength. It is about having the courage to intervene when we see that inclusion is not present. Equity means we recognise that each of us starts from a different place, and levelling the playing field for everyone means taking targeted action.” 

Due to this broad mandate, Lyn surmises that many people have opinions on the role, but few people actually want to do it. “It is a complex space to manoeuvre, with shifting social changes and differing demands from different stakeholders. It is a job that requires a high level of engagement across different segments of the staff population, while dealing with a shifting external landscape – including external reporting requirements, sustainability goals, policy changes, and community expectations. Amid these demands, [we also have] to sustainably make tangible progress in the equity areas that have been publicly committed.” 

In essence, spearheading DEI within an organisation involves the question: “How does one genuinely facilitate access for all, and provide support for both physical and non-physical workplace accommodations?”

This can take the form of the language used. For example, Shell gives eight weeks of parental leave to non-birthing parents, a term that has been deliberately used to include parents who adopt. It can also take the form of psychological safety by creating non-judgemental spaces for employees to speak up about their lived experiences, whether they are personal or professional. 

In fact, Lyn witnessed the importance of DEI first-hand when she was diagnosed with hypomania, a mood disorder, in 2009. Her colleagues were incredibly supportive, and gave her the space to determine how she’d cope with the diagnosis. Diving into work proved to be a respite for her, but she’s also worked with colleagues who require a sabbatical. This is one of the many forms that inclusion takes: giving people the option to choose the path for themselves. 

“I started to talk openly about my own lived experience with disability and mental ill-health. This provided a platform for others to feel safe to share, and helped to destigmatise mental ill-health. It also created an inclusive environment where people felt included and could thrive. My intent was to create a movement where everyone in the organisation felt a personal call to action, and also felt empowered to take action to support others who are in need,” she says. 

As the first Asian, female chief of DEI at Shell, Lyn brings her lived experiences to the role, but also acknowledges that there is plenty she still doesn’t know, whether it’s about understanding the struggles of her LGBTQ colleagues, or building the “software and hardware” to support the needs of neurodiverse co-workers, which includes the wide spectrum of mental health conditions.  

Becoming comfortable with discomfort

It’s not a comfortable nor easy position to be in, Lyn shares. She was initially fearful about saying the wrong things, especially when she was tasked to comment and make policies about issues that she was not entirely familiar with. 

“My experiences during my tenure as chief DEI officer have also given me insights on the way 

I should approach my job. It is about noticing the nuances, paying attention to the details of what is not said/expressed, versus the obvious. I’ve also realised that I do not always have the answer, nor will I always act in a way that others expect of me. 

“It is about being curious, and taking time to understand the topic of DEI from another person’s perspective. It is about being open-minded, and being willing to learn and course correct. It is about being human. And through this approach, I gain insights on what is required to build inclusive mindsets and behaviours, which in turn ensures that our policies are equitable and inclusive for our employees globally,” she says.

Along the way, she’s learnt that people want to be heard and respected. In fact, asking them about their experiences empowers them, and gives them a platform to share. 

“Whenever [I visit our offices around the world], my priority is always to engage with staff, and get their input and feedback about how our DEI approach and policies are impacting them, and where we can do better and be even more inclusive. What are [our people] thinking? How are they feeling? What are good practices we can replicate? What are areas that we can improve and do better in? I engage with leaders to sense check where the organisation is at.” 

Empathy is clearly an important prerequisite for this role. It’s easy to see how people would be comfortable becoming vulnerable with Lyn. When we meet for the second time for this shoot and interview, we settle into an easy banter, and Lyn has a way of making people feel like they’re being understood. 

Another key word to describe this role would be “disruption”. Lyn explains: “Our views are informed by our own lived experiences, as well as where and how we are raised. Sometimes, in order for our mindsets and behaviours to shift, and for us to have a broader and different perspective, a shift and pivot is required to bring about a different result and a positive impact.”

She adds: “Confronting [our biases] and highlighting the uncomfortable truth is part of the work. It’s not about what I say, but about what I do. It’s about leaning in with courage, and daring to do what is uncomfortable. Being right is less important. Doing the right thing is most important.”

Turning struggles into personal triumphs

Lyn’s approach to her work perhaps stems from her own life experiences. In 2009, she underwent one of the most painful periods of her life. 

Her late father was suffering from cancer. She also was struggling with the decision to end her 18-year marriage, and juggling work on top of being a single mother of two girls. 

She received support from the company, and learnt first-hand the importance of being in a nurturing environment. 

“It was a difficult time for me. I went to see a doctor when, one day, I found myself unable to get out of bed. I had ‘crashed’. I was diagnosed with hypomania. Some of my symptoms (which vary from person to person) include having an abnormally high level of energy and activity. I am constantly multitasking, and am energetic and productive. I know that this must be something that people wish they could do. However, what it also meant for me was that I was easily distracted.” 

In 2023, Lyn took a two-month sabbatical because she was on the verge of burnout. She explains: “I had a ‘monkey’ brain, and I felt like I was all over the place. I always have to watch myself, because with hypomania, I can end up doing too much, which can lead to burnout.” 

During the two months, she spent time with friends and family, including her two daughters, aged 23 and 27, the elder of whom just got married in December. 

She also took a course on mindfulness, which she says was very helpful. She has now started implementing some of the practices in her daily life. “I always have to remind myself to slow down, and I regulate myself with physical exercise and meditation.” 

Expanding her world view 

Whenever Lyn is in doubt, she always remembers her late mother’s advice, which is to “dream as big as you want”. In fact, when Lyn was undergoing her divorce, her mum – who passed away in 2013 – had told her to put her worries about her children aside, and focus on herself. 

It might be a surprising perspective for an Asian mother, but her mum had always marched to the beat of her own drum. She had grown up in a humble family during the Japanese occupation, and started taking care of her family at a young age. When she was 12, she decided she needed an education, and joined other six-year-olds in Primary 1. She even married into high society when she fell in love with the brother-in-law of the family she’d been nannying for. 

This rebellious spirit can be seen in Lyn, whose idea of a holiday is adventuring through difficult terrain. Her first solo trip was to Bhutan 10 years ago, and a relative had asked her, “What if you get raped?” But for Lyn, taking the plunge and stepping out of her comfort zone is part of her growth journey. 

In the past decade, Lyn has travelled around India, including to Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Kashmir, as well as to Peru and the Amazon. Her next adventure is to snow trek in Hokkaido. 

“I love adventure travel,” she says. “I’m inspired by the experiences that are, in many ways, different from my world view and perspectives. I like physical challenges, such as mountain hiking, and having to overcome obstacles. I get tremendous satisfaction when I overcome them, and gain the life lessons they teach me. It also builds resilience.” 

“I am living my purpose, living my dream,” she says with a smile. And to think that five years ago, Lyn wasn’t sure if she wanted the job. 

PHOTOGRAPHY Clement Goh

ART DIRECTION Ray Christian Ticsay

HAIR & MAKEUP Madiha Shaikh