Aurora Energy Services has appointed Tom Smith as chief operating officer as it closes in on further international acquisitions.
Dyce-based Aurora was formally launched in April this year via the takeovers of Huntly’s offshore services and fabrication company R&M Engineering in April, and rope access and training specialist Inverness Access Training Services (IATS) last year.
Its owners now intend to build the firm into a “£100 million revenue” international energy services provider over the next five years, with a view to serving the oil and gas sector as well as emerging technologies such as wind, hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage.
These services include inspection, repair and maintenance, design engineering, fabrication and installation, among other capabilities across sites in Huntly, Inverness and Norwich.
Formerly the general manager of the M&A office at marine energy specialist Acteon Group, Mr Smith previously worked with Aurora owners Doug Duguid and Michael Buchan at EnerMech and PSL Energy Services when they grew both businesses into global concerns.
Mr Smith will relocate from London to Aurora’s northeast headquarters, where he will now be responsible for the day-to-day operations at the group.
Prior to working for Acteon, he held senior European business development and project management role for consultancy Calash Group and was country manager for EnerMech in South Korea.
Commenting on his new position, he said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to be involved in an energetic and ambitious business which is focused on developing a ‘customer-focused’ reputation in the renewables and energy transition space.
“Aurora has huge potential and I am really looking forward to playing a key role in the company’s organic growth and international expansion.”
Further acquisitions are now in the pipeline, including one deal currently being finalised which will see the group make a “strategic US addition” to its services portfolio.
Chief executive officer Doug Duguid added: “Tom has been in the energy industry a long time and has worked his way up the ranks which gives him an excellent insight into running a business from the ground up. His wider experience in operations, mergers and acquisitions and renewables will be a great asset as we merge our recent acquisitions and look to add more services around the world.
“He is pragmatic, has superb people skills, and I know from working with him over the years that he has a very good cultural understanding, which is important for managing a diverse workforce and moulding the different components in to a successful customer-focused operation.
“Tom’s appointment as COO will give me greater freedom to develop the business by leading the charge into new territories and to identify potential acquisitions and new technologies which are beneficial to the Aurora service offering.”
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