Pakistan State Oil has appointed Jawwad Ahmed Cheema as its new CEO for a three-year term starting May 18, 2026. Cheema brings 28 years of experience in the energy sector, including 26 years at Royal Dutch Shell. He takes over from interim CEO Abdus Sami.
Pakistan State Oil (PSO), the country’s largest fuel supply company, has a new chief executive. The company announced to the Pakistan Stock Exchange that its Board of Management has appointed Jawwad Ahmed Cheema as CEO. His three-year term begins May 18, 2026.
Cheema steps in after Abdus Sami, who had been holding the role on an interim basis.
Who Is Jawwad Cheema?
Cheema spent 26 of his 28 years in the energy sector at Royal Dutch Shell, one of the world’s largest oil companies. His career took him across Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
He rose through the ranks to become managing director and CEO of Shell Pakistan, where he led the company through a major period of change.
He later moved to Shell’s global headquarters in The Hague as vice president of strategy, overseeing the company’s worldwide downstream infrastructure. In Singapore, he led the expansion of Shell’s global business services operations. Internationally, he also led Shell’s entry into Indonesia’s retail fuels market.
Most recently, Cheema served as CEO of Karachi Hydrocarbon Terminal, a joint venture under VTTI BV that handles petroleum imports and distribution at Port Qasim.
He has also served on several boards, including as Chairperson of Shell Pakistan and as a director at Pakistan Refinery Limited and Pakistan Arab Pipeline Company.
PSO sits at the center of Pakistan’s fuel supply. Especially critical at a time when global oil prices are surging and supply chains face pressure from the Strait of Hormuz crisis. The appointment of a CEO with a vast international energy experience signals that the company is preparing for a challenging period ahead.
