The new boss of the largest operating division of Wood Group revealed yesterday that he was planning further major growth for the business.
Robin Watson, who became chief executive of Wood Group PSN at the start of this month, has outlined his ambitions for the unit.
Mr Watson, 45, is now responsible for more than 29,000 employees and operations in 35-plus countries.
He said: “My vision for WGPSN is simple.
“I want us to be the best production services company to work for and the best company to work with, with a focus on continuous improvement.
“I am taking up the role at a very exciting time in the Wood Group story. It’s the start of the next chapter for the company and we have a fantastic team, exciting prospects and a strong business underpinned by our core values.
“My ambition is to create further growth opportunities for WGPSN. Notable international regions of anticipated growth include the US, western Canada, Australia, the Middle East and the Caspian region.
“Expansion into the coal-seam gas, shale and oilsand markets will, I believe, also present significant opportunities for WGPSN to differentiate and grow.”
Mr Watson said the UK remained a cornerstone for the global WGPSN business, adding: “Our UK growth will be driven by the diversification of our services, namely the expansion of our project management, commissioning and decommissioning capabilities.
Prior to his latest promotion, Mr Watson was UK managing director of WGPSN for the last two years.
In 2012, WGPSN’s UK business unit increased its workforce by 10% to more than 8,600; creating nearly 800 permanent jobs in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Runcorn and Hull.
In addition, more than 100 graduates and apprentices joined the business in the UK for the second year running.
Changes to the organisational design and leadership team at WGPSN have been a focus for Mr Watson in his first few weeks in post.
He said: “I have restructured the WGPSN business and in line with this, expanded our divisional board. We have a 16-strong leadership team spread across the eastern and western hemispheres to promote better internationalisation.
“I have also placed a large emphasis on people with the appointment of a strategic resourcing director. This is to ensure we can move the right people to the right place at the right time. Key to this will be more robust succession planning, creating global opportunities for our people to continually develop.”
Mr Watson also joined the board of parent Wood Group as an executive director on January 1.
The international energy service giant has more than 42,000 people worldwide. Mr Watson’s predecessor at WGPSN, Bob Keiller, is now group chief executive.
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