Dave Hager, chief operating officer of Oklahoma City independent Devon Energy Corp., has been selected to succeed John Richels, current president and chief executive officer, following Richels’ retirement on July 31, 2015.
Richels has been named vice-chairman of the board, effective immediately, with the intent of replacing Larry Nichols as chairman upon Nichols’ retirement from the board in 2016. At that time, Nichols is expected to become chairman emeritus.
Richels joined the company in 1998, leading subsidiary Devon Canada Corp. until being elected Devon’s president in 2004 (OGJ Online, Jan. 8, 2004). He joined Devon’s board in 2007 and was elected chief executive officer in 2010 (OGJ Online, June 10, 2010).
Hager was appointed chief operating officer in June 2013 (OGJ Online, June 10, 2013). He previously served as a member of the company’s board from 2007 until 2009, when he was named executive vice-president of exploration and production (OGJ Online, Mar. 17, 2009). Prior to joining Devon, he also served as an E&P vice-president at Kerr-McGee Corp. (OGJ Online, July 23, 2002; Mar. 24, 2003).
Hager overall has 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, launching his career in 1979 as a geophysicist with Mobil Corp.
