As an employee of Hess and as a trustee of the Hess UK pension plan, I had the pleasure of working with Robert for many years. Robert was both a friend and a trusted adviser, always ready with kind guidance and a wise word and, frequently, an amusing comment on the side. My thoughts are with Robert's family. He will be greatly missed.

I have worked with Robert on the Fugro pension scheme since December 2017. He was always so welcoming, a happy character and always asked the most intriguing questions. Any complex topic he would discuss with such ease and he made it a lot easier to understand, I am so grateful for all the knowledge he provided to both myself and the scheme. We would always speak about his trips to Cornwall to watch the rugby and how much he enjoyed it. He will be missed a lot. My thoughts are with his family and friends

Robert will be deeply missed within the Hart/Austen clan. I always felt he lit up any gathering with his warmth, unnassuming intelligence, and fantastic wit. When I think of Robert I think of twinkling blue eyes & a smile suggesting he alone knows the secrets of things and finds them deeply amusing; a smile which suggests it's all a big joke, and the joke's on us. I also felt in him an ally of sorts, being 2 lone smokers in a family of non-smokers; we would often share quietly companionable cigarette breaks away from the hubub at family gatherings. For my husband, Will, Robert was one of the stand-out guests at our wedding 2 years ago, probably even winning the award for Conversation Of The Day for the range & depth of topics they covered, combined with his clearly felt generosity of spirit. From both of us, our thoughts and love are with Rosie, James, Priscilla, Mark, Tim & Rachel at this time. X