International oilfield service company Expro said yesterday it had appointed Charles Woodburn as chief executive.
He joins the group following a 15-year career with Schlumberger where he held many senior management roles, including president of wireline until 2009 and latterly was in charge of engineering and manufacturing.
Mr Woodburn’s new appointment takes effect from September 1.
From that date, Graeme Coutts will revert to the position of chairman, a role he had occupied previously until February this year when he stepped back in as chief executive. The previous CEO, Gavin Prise, left in January.
Mr Coutts said: “Charles Woodburn is truly a world-class appointment for Expro.
“We have taken a significant amount of time to look at the industry talent and I am delighted that we have been fortunate enough to recruit the very best without compromise.
“Expro has become a recognised leader in the provision of well-flow management solutions to the global oil and gas industry.
“The appointment of Charles as CEO will bring dynamic and refreshing leadership as we continue to develop our business to meet the industry’s challenges.”
Mr Woodburn, 39, who will be based in Aberdeen, said: “I am delighted to be joining Expro at such an exciting time for the business and the industry in general.
“Expro is a world-class brand, employing some of the industry’s finest people and with a reputation for delivering innovative technologies to meet the needs of our customers.
“Through investment in people, technology development and our global infrastructure, we are well positioned to capitalise on market opportunities around the world and I look forward to leading Expro into the next chapter of its success story.”
Expro employs 5,000 people in 50 countries, including 700 in Aberdeen.
The company was bought for £1.81billion in July 2008 by private-equity interests: a consortium made up of Candover, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and AlpInvest Partners.