Barthold Theodoor Willem van Hasselt
Barthold Theodoor Willem van Hasselt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Leiden, Netherlands |
| Died | August 5, 1960 (aged 63) Wassenaar, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Corporate leader, CEO |
| Years active | 1919–1951 |
| Known for | CEO of Royal Dutch Shell (1949–1951) |
Barthold Theodoor Willem van Hasselt (born 7 November 1896 in Leiden – died 5 August 1960 in Wassenaar) was a prominent Dutch corporate leader who served as the chief executive officer of Royal Dutch Shell from 1949 until 1951.
Family
Van Hasselt was born to Sjoerd Folkert Willem van Hasselt, a medical doctor, and Marie Elise Prins. He entered into marriage with Elisabeth Henriette Versteegh in 1920, and later wed Marion Elizabeth Davidson in 1938. His first marriage produced two daughters, one of whom was Elisabeth Henriette van Hasselt, the mother of noted art historian Caroline de Westenholz.
Career
After earning his law degree from Leiden University in 1919, Van Hasselt commenced his career as the leading official for the Royal Dutch Society responsible for petroleum assets in the Dutch East Indies. He subsequently advanced to become the chief representative of the Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij. By 1934, he had assumed the role of second deputy director at the Javasche Bank (present-day Bank Indonesia) and held membership in the Volksraad (Dutch East Indies). In 1938, he was appointed general director of the Mexican Eagle Petroleum Company, overseeing Royal Dutch Shell’s operations there. Elevated to director of the Royal Dutch Society in 1944, he was named Director General of Royal Dutch Shell in 1949, a position he held until his departure in 1951. Following his tenure at Shell, Van Hasselt took on supervisory board positions at Akzo, Hoogovens, and served as chairman of the Supervisory Board for Billiton.
Distinctions
- Awarded Bronze Medal for humanitarian efforts (1919)
- Recipient of King's Medal (1949)
- Bestowed Knight rank in the Order of the Dutch Lion (1950)
- Honored as Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau (1952)
- Granted honorary membership in the Society of Commerce and Industry (1960)