Global Product Owner for Safety Digitalization at Shell, applying AI, machine vision, and virtual reality to keep people safe across the world's energy operations — built on three decades of hands-on refining, economics, and major-project leadership.
Stephen Haik has spent his career where engineering meets the bottom line — and where both meet safety. Starting as a process engineer in Louisiana refineries, he went on to lead plant economics, billion-dollar capital projects, global crude flexibility programs, and refinery acquisitions and divestments across the U.S., Europe, and Asia for Motiva Enterprises and Shell.
Today he leads Safety Digitalization globally for Shell, where his team pairs frontline safety practice with emerging technology: machine-vision AI that spots hazards in real time, virtual-reality training for emergency response teams, and a portfolio of more than one hundred safety applications used across Shell's businesses worldwide.
He serves on the IOGP Digitally Enabled Safe Sites Initiative (DESSI) Expert Group and its Vision AI guidelines writing team, helping shape how the global energy industry deploys AI for safety. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and PMP based in Prairieville, Louisiana.
Led development of T-Pulse machine-vision analytics at Shell and industry Vision AI guidelines with IOGP — turning cameras and data into real-time hazard detection.
Directed VR safety-learning deployments and the pilot of 3D virtual-reality training for emergency response teams, improving retention without real-world risk.
Global product owner for 100+ safety applications; delivered a 36% reduction in digital expenditure while expanding capability across worldwide operations.
Former refinery business manager delivering hundreds of millions in annual margin improvement through crude selection, blending, and site optimization.
Startup leadership for North America's largest refinery expansion ($12B+, Port Arthur) and the $0.7B Geismar expansion — from commissioning to operations readiness.
Manufacturing lead for refinery sales: due diligence, valuation, and deal execution praised as the smoothest site-level transaction leadership in years.
Leads Shell's global safety digitalization portfolio — machine-vision AI, VR training, and 100+ safety applications — with accountability for 23 global projects and recognition including consecutive CEO Awards.
Manufacturing lead for refinery acquisitions & divestments: due diligence, inventory valuation, and site implementation through closing across 28 workstreams.
Improved global crude flexibility value by more than $220MM over plan; created Shell's first Global Crude Flexibility Opportunity Tracker spanning site, regional, and global operations.
Owned business plans and value-growth plans for the Norco and Convent refineries; led Solomon benchmarking and gap-closure across multiple sites.
Refinery business manager delivering $380MM+ in annual net cash margin improvement; mentored a team that earned four of six Motiva President's Awards.
Designed and directed the $0.7B Geismar expansion and led operations-readiness for the new expansion team.
Managed pre-commissioning through startup for North America's largest refinery project ($12B+), including integrated scheduling and production risk management.
Progressed from process engineer to logistics product unit manager — earning a U.S. patent for coker technology, the site's first ISO 14001 certification, and leadership of 90+ staff.
Consulting engineering foundation in refinery process analysis and optimization.
"I've worked in divestments for years now, and I have never seen a transaction run so smoothly at the site level. I give this credit to Stephen."
— Shell annual performance review