Linda Cook (businesswoman)

Linda Zarda Cook
Born	(1958-06-04) June 4, 1958 Shawnee, Kansas, U.S.
Occupation	Energy executive
Years active	1980–present
Known for	CEO of Harbour Energy; former CEO of Shell Gas & Power

Linda Zarda Cook (born June 4, 1958) is an American executive currently serving as CEO of Harbour Energy since 2014. Prior to this, she was the chief executive officer of Shell Gas & Power, a division of Royal Dutch Shell, based in the Netherlands until 2009. In September 2007, Forbes recognized her as the 44th most influential woman worldwide.

Biography

Raised in Shawnee, Kansas, Cook obtained a degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Kansas in 1980.

Her professional journey started at Shell the same year as a reservoir engineer within the United States. Over time, she advanced to senior roles overseeing exploration and production activities. In 1998, she moved to the Netherlands to head Shell International EP. Between 2000 and 2003, she held the CEO position for Shell’s Gas & Power segment. Following this, she led Shell Canada for a year before returning to direct Gas & Power once again.

On May 26, 2009, Cook resigned after not being selected as Shell’s CEO. Subsequently, her division was merged into a reorganized management framework under CEO Peter Voser. After nearly three decades with Shell, she received severance compensation valued at approximately £5 million.

Since 2003, Cook has been a member of The Boeing Company’s board of directors, where she contributed to several committees and chaired the finance committee until her departure in April 2015. Additionally, she has served on the boards of KBR and Marathon Oil.

Cook took on the role of CEO at Harbour Energy in July 2014. In March 2021, Harbour Energy combined operations with Chrysaor Holdings and Premier Oil, resulting in the largest oil and gas producer in the North Sea region.