Desmond is Head of Energy Transition (Environmental products, gas, power), LNG Origination, at Hartree Partners, based in Singapore.

Prior to this, he spent 15 years with the Royal Dutch Shell Group holding a variety of senior roles in different businesses in LNG and downstream, including Head of LNG Trading Asia, Head of natural gas/LNG Trading for China, as well as Vice President of Japanese OEM. From 2019-21, he was based in Beijing heading Shell's LNG trading team and responsible for setting up Shell’s first in-country LNG & natural gas trading desk. He pioneered Shell’s first LNG-to-gas JV to import LNG and downstream gas trading in China, and at the same
time, inked the first carbon neutral LNG deals with Chinese and Japanese LNG buyers in the world.

In 2009, he set up and led Shell’s LNG trading arm in Asia-Pacific until 2013 and established the first sales of spot cargoes with major Asian utilities and trading houses, thus establishing Shell’s position as a leading LNG trading organization in Asia, with P/L responsibility of $150-200 mln pa. Apart from LNG trading, he led the negotiation and finalization of several mid and long-term LNG SPAs in China, Japan and Southeast Asia, including a 15-years long-term sales agreement with a Japanese oil major. In May 2014, Desmond was asked to transfer his trading, commercial experience and relationship skills and track record for results in
LNG to set up a new business unit in Shell Lubricants in the Asia Pacific targeting major Japanese automotive majors (OEM) like Toyota, Honda and Yamaha. Within two years, he successfully established Shell Lubricant as the leading IOC lubricant supplier with these Japanese customers; delivered 30 mln liters of new volume in three years.

Desmond is a Singaporean of mixed Chinese-Taiwanese and Japanese parentage, and has lived in Beijing, London, The Hague, Bangkok, Singapore, and Tokyo. He is married with two children.