Sayma Cox has stepped down as CEO of Aberdeen-based North Sea Midstream Partners (NSMP).
Writing on LinkedIn, Cox said: “After a fulfilling and transformative chapter as CEO of North Sea Midstream Partners, the time felt right for me to step away and look to the future.”
She added that her immediate plans would be to focus on her family.
However, she added that she aims to focus on a new venture in the coming months.
She said: “It will be about doing business differently. We must not be embarrassed to recognise that oil and gas will continue to play a vital role in meeting global energy demand for decades to come.
“From the fuels that keep us mobile, to the plastics used in medical devices, and even the clothes we wear—oil and gas underpin so much of our everyday lives.
“At the same time, we must respect the need for a balanced energy mix to ensure a sustainable future. The way we approach the industry must evolve, combining AI, efficiency, partnering and fresh thinking to meet today’s challenges while preparing for tomorrow’s energy needs.”
Richard Ozsanlav, currently serving as NSMP’s chief financial officer, will take over as the company’s interim CEO.
He said: “The board and leadership team are committed to maintaining NSMP’s reputation for safe operations, building on a strong financial foundation and advancing the company’s business plan.”
This year saw the company add Angela Fletcher as its new chief commercial officer (CCO), replacing Paul Turner.
Ross Dornan has started a new position as commercial market specialist at Aberdeen’s OEG Energy Group.
Dornan will be based at OEG’s new corporate headquarters in Dyce where he will help support and guide the group’s continued growth in both new and existing markets.
OEG has been on an expansion drive, having bought up 14 businesses in the last four years – a pace to company aims to maintain.
The group, which has a two divisions OEG Offshore and OEG Renewables, was bought by US private equity group in 2023 Oaktree Capital Management through its $5 billion (£3.95bn) power opportunities fund.
In his new role, Dornan will work to ensure that OEG’s strategy and planning is driven by up-to-date and relevant data and insight, drawing on both internal and market data.
This will include providing strategic recommendations based on market research, planning and forecasting models and engagements with external stakeholders.
Dornan is well known in the industry having previously held the position of market intelligence manager at trade body, Offshore Energies UK.
He said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining OEG. The company has grown significantly in recent years and has a clear focus on continuing this progress. I’m looking forward to helping drive that forward across a range of markets and service lines.”
OEG Energy Group also brought in Ricardo Rosa as its new non-executive chairman earlier this year.
Mark Patterson has been appointed as chairman of Aberdeenshire’s J+S Subsea.
Writing on LinkedIn, Patterson said that his appointment comes “as the business now enters the next phase of growth”.
Among his previous experiences, Patterson has served as CEO of Nautronix, executive director of Well-Safe Solutions, and now supports a number of companies in non-executive director roles, including with Maritime Developments.
J+S Subsea recently opened a new facility, moving from its base in Kintore and moving to Holland House in Pitmedden Road, Dyce.
The company was also one of the winners at this year’s Subsea Expo Awards, picking up the company of the year award – under 50 employees trophy, and the rising star prize for its environmental and sustainability adviser, Kairvee Tyagi.
Legal firm Aberdein Considine has formed a new team of legal experts to provide services to the energy sector.
The new energy practice includes partner and energy sector lead Rod Hutchison, partner and head of corporate and business advisory Ritchie Whyte, commercial real estate partner Gemma Perfect, employment partner Nicola Gray and dispute resolution partner Elaine Elder.
Senior associates Danny Anderson and Erin Shand provide additional expertise and support to the team.
The team now combines more than 100 years of knowledge of the energy industry, with legal expertise in M&A transactions, equity investment and lending, corporate governance, commercial property, contractual negotiations, employment and dispute resolution.
Hutchison said: “With increased uncertainty around energy, exacerbated by the changes in the fiscal regime and the challenges of the acceleration towards net zero, we wanted to consolidate our extensive experience and hard-won reputation in the industry by establishing a dedicated, specialist energy practice.
“Being headquartered in Aberdeen, it’s a given that we have many oil and gas clients but as they diversify into decommissioning and other forms of energy and our client base grows, extending into renewables, carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen, we are focusing our efforts on being best placed to help them navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the energy transition and the ever-changing regulatory and fiscal landscape.”
Andy Muirhead has joined Aberdeen-based equipment manufacturer RenQuip as its new business development manager.
Muirhead brings over 25 years of experience in the energy and industrial sectors, having held key roles in sales management and operations.
In his new role at RenQuip, he will be responsible for leading business development efforts across key markets, with a focus on expanding the company’s client base and driving new business opportunities.
His appointment is a key factor in RenQuip’s growth strategy as the company looks to build on its achievements and further solidify its position as a leading equipment supplier.
This strategic hire follows a successful 2024 for RenQuip and highlights the company’s commitment to driving further growth in the coming years.
The group launched a new product range this year as it aimed to hit revenue forecasts of over £6 million in the next three years.
Managing director of RenQuip Marc Gerrard said Muirhead’s “proven track record in business development and deep understanding of the industry will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen our market presence and deliver exceptional service to our clients”.
Jens Okland has been appointed as acting executive vice-president for renewables at Equinor with immediate effect.
Okland has more than 30 years of experience at Equinor, most recently as vice-president for strategy and commercial solutions in renewables.
His promotion comes as the executive vice-president for renewables, Pal Eitrheim, has accepted a new leadership position outside the company. He will be available to the company until 31 May 2025
The process of appointing a new of executive vice-president for renewables has begun.
President and CEO of Equinor Anders Opedal said: “I want to thank Jens for taking on this responsibility at short notice, in a period of record-high activity level within renewables. He is a very seasoned leader who knows the task, the organization, and the company very well.
“Pal has led the development of a robust organisation, a strong renewables portfolio, and contributed to shaping the strategy for Equinor’s approach in the energy transition. I want to congratulate Pal on an exciting, new opportunity and wish him the best of luck.”
The move comes amid rumours that Equinor is considering cutting 20% of the staff, around 250 full-time job equivalents, from its renewable energy division as it focuses on pursuing fewer new projects.
Hans Martin Smith will step down as chief financial officer at Vestas at the end of the year.
After more than 20 years in the company, he has held his current role since 1 March 2022. He served during a challenging and volatile period where he helped Vestas turn a heavily loss-making 2022 into a profitable 2023 and oversaw Vestas continuing its positive profitability trajectory in 2024.
Vestas has started the process to find a successor to Hans Martin Smith and will announce his replacement in due time.
Until a successor has been found, CFO responsibilities will be handled by senior vice-president and head of group financial performance Rasmus Gram.
Vestas president and CEO Henrik Andersen said: “I want to thank Hans on behalf of everyone at Vestas for his incredible contribution over the last two decades. I’ve enjoyed working closely with Hans, but I understand his decision to try something different after 20 years in Vestas, including three tough years as CFO through an extraordinarily volatile and demanding period for the industry and the company.”
Rahul Dhir will step down as chief executive officer of Tullow Oil and resign from its board during 2025.
The board has initiated a process to find his successor. Dhir will stay in his role until a date to be determined to ensure a smooth transition.
Dhir is leaving his positions to focus on pursuing other business, academic and family interests.
He commented: “It’s been a privilege to serve Tullow during these past four and a half years. During this period, we have achieved a step change in our operating performance, cost structure and capital discipline and delivered over $1.1b in free cash flow and reduced our net debt from $2.8b to c.$1.4b.
“I am also very proud of our team’s strong culture of ownership and commitment to business delivery. With a strong pan-African platform, Tullow is well-positioned as a trusted partner and responsible operator to deliver the next phase of growth.”
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