Royal Dutch Shell has appointed Ben van Beurden as its new Chief Executive Officer.He will succeed Peter Voser who steps down at the end of March 2014 after 29 years with the company.Van Beurden, 55, has been Downstream Director since January. He joined the company in 1983 and has held a number of technical and commercial roles in both the upstream and downstream businesses. He has worked in The Netherlands, Africa, Malaysia, US and, most recently, the UK."I am delighted to announce Ben van Beurden as the next Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell," said Chairman Jorma Ollila. "Ben has deep knowledge of the industry and proven executive experience across a range of Shell businesses. Ben will continue to drive and further develop the strategic agenda that we have set out, to generate competitive returns for our shareholders."RD