The current holder of a prestigious annual award celebrating the role of women in the energy industry has been unveiled as the new chief executive of Pryme Group.
Pryme, the parent of engineering services businesses including Aberdeenshire-based SengS, said it had appointed Kerrie Murray, 36, to head up the company.
Ms Murray was previously chief financial officer and had been acting CEO since the sudden and unexplained departure of Angus Gray in February.
Pryme’s new boss lives in Inverurie, and is a chartered accountant and graduate of Aberdeen University.
She joined Dundee-headquartered Pryme in June 2018 as CFO, after more than 10 years in the oil and gas industry – latterly as director of international finance at Forum Energy Technologies.
Pryme said she had transformed its finance operation, “empowering” colleagues across five locations through training and mentoring.
Group chairman Lawrence Ross said: “Kerrie’s track record as CFO of the company has been impressive during the past two years in creating value and steering the company finances during challenging times.
“In addition, since February, following the departure of the previous CEO, Kerrie has undertaken the role on an interim basis.
“During this time she has proven her leadership skills and depth of understanding of the business, leaving us in no doubt as to her ability to drive substantial performance improvements and take Pryme towards a healthy future.
“We have thought hard about this appointment and considered a variety of options but, rather fortunately, by far the best choice was already on board.”
Mr Ross said Ms Murray’s replacement as CFO would be announced shortly.
At The Press & Journal Energy Voice Gold Awards 2019, held in association with Aberdeen Standard Investments, Ms Murray scooped the much-coveted Dr Mildred Dresselhaus Award.
The accolade is awarded annually to women making a positive contribution to the energy sector.
Private equity-owned Pryme supplies integrated manufacturing services to a wide range of industry sectors.
Ms Murray said: “I am confident we can take full advantage of the group’s undoubted potential and emerge from the prevailing conditions in a strong position, ready to achieve our longer-term growth objectives.”