[3] O'Shea was chief financial officer of Vesuvius plc until September 2015, when he was appointed finance director of Smiths Group.
From 2019 to 2022, O'Shea forewent annual bonuses of several million pounds citing the hardships faced by consumers during COVID-19 pandemic and then the global energy crisis.
In 2023, Centrica posted year-end profits of over £3 billion and O'Shea faced calls to forego his bonus again eventually settling for a package of over £4 million.
[8][9] In January 2024, O'Shea gave an interview to BBC Breakfast, in which he said of his pay of £4.5 million in 2022: "You can't justify a salary of that size.
"[10][11][12] In 2023, his remuneration increased to £8.2 million,[13] which was criticised by the High Pay Centre.