Sir Philip Beverley Watts (born 25 June 1945) is a former chairman of the multinational energy company Shell and a priest in the Church of England. Early life Watts was born on 25 June 1945 in Leicester and grew up in the Midlands where his father worked in the textile industry. He attended the Wyggeston and Dixie grammar schools in Leicestershire and the University of Leeds where he studied physics, graduating as BSc in 1968. After university he taught briefly in Sierra Leone before returning to Leeds to study for a master's degree in geophysics (MA). In 1969 Watts joined Shell for whom he worked until 2004. In October 2012, he was appointed priest-in-charge of Waltham St Lawrence parish church. Shell career 1969–1983; Seismologist 1983–1987; Exploration director, Shell UK 1987–1991; Various in Shell's production liaison and planning operations 1991–1994; managing director, Shell Nigeria 1994–1995; Regional coordinator, Shell Europe 1995–1998; Director for "Strategic Planning, Sustainable Development, and External Affairs", Shell International 1998–2001; managing director, and CEO Exploration and Production Division 2001–2004; Chairman Nigeria During Watts's tenure as managing director of Shell Nigeria in the early 1990s a major area of exploration in the country was the oil-rich Niger River delta and here Shell came into conflict with the Ogoni people. The conflict with the Ogonis eventually culminated in the execution by the Nigerian regime of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa. In 2002 a class action lawsuit was filed by the Philadelphia law firm of Berger & Montague alleging that Shell "engaged in militarized commerce in a conspiracy with the former military government of Nigeria…purchasing ammunition and using its helicopters and boats and providing logistical support for … a military foray into Ogoniland designed to terrorize the civilian population into ending peaceful protests." Shell dismissed the allegations as "groundless", but Watts was questioned in London by representatives of Berger & Montague in mid-April 2004 although he was not named a defendant in the lawsuit, which was brought solely against the company. Business reputation Watts succeeded Sir Mark Moody-Stuart in mid-2001 as chairman of Shell's "Committee of Managing Directors". Within Shell this appointment was greeted with some surprise as the seemingly abrasive Watts was a contrast with his patrician predecessor. Externally the appointment was at first welcomed as a sign that Shell was going to move aggressively to reduce costs, however Watts soon fell into disfavour with Shell's institutional investors, in large part because he