In the 1990s, Shell decided that Lensbury should be seen not as exclusively a "staff benefit" but as a "profit centre". Driven by the Shell Group's new chairman J.S. Jennings, and implemented by the new Chairman of the Club, Clive Mather, changes were instituted that were designed first to reduce and then to eliminate Shell's subsidy.
During the 1990s, Shell decided to change Lensbury from a staff perk to a profit-making operation. This shift was driven by J.S. Jennings, the new head of Shell Group, and Clive Mather, who took over as chairman of the Club. Their goal was to reduce and eventually eliminate Shell's financial support for Lensbury.