Services/Suppliers

NewmanZug, Switzerland, has named Steven L. Newman, president and COO, to succeed Robert L. Long, who will retire as CEO in first quarter 2010. Newman was appointed president and COO in May 2008. Previously, he served as executive vice-president of performance; executive vice-president and COO; senior vice-president of human resources, information process solutions, and treasury; and vice-president of performance and technology. Joining the company in 1994, Newman also held international field and operations management positions, including project engineer, rig manager, division manager, region marketing manager, region operations manager, and region manager. Long served with Transocean for more than 30 years, including presiding over the merger of GlobalSantaFe with Transocean.

LongTransocean is the world's largest offshore drilling contractor and a leading provider of drilling management services worldwide.

ABS Nautical Systems (NS),

Hughey

StroubakisHouston, has appointed Karen Hughey president and COO. She replaces Jack Kitchura, who is retiring. Previously, Hughey was ABS vice-president of application development. NS also named Robert Kessler director, global account manager, for the ABS division's new account management department. Kessler will move to Houston from London, where he previously served as regional sales and operations manager for NS in Europe and the Middle East. Dimitri Stroubakis, who has spent the past 2 years as executive assistant to ABS senior management in Houston, will relocate to Piraeus, Greece, as NS director in Europe. Stroubakis will have overall supervision of NS activities in Europe. The existing NS office in Hamburg will report through Stroubakis, with Piraeus becoming the center for future NS management in Europe. Fernando Lehrer will move from his current position as director of maritime services for ABS Consulting to take up the newly created position of director, product development, at NS.

LehrerABS Nautical Systems is one of the leading providers of fleet management software packages available to the marine and offshore industries. It offers a fully integrated, modular approach to managing all of the principal operational expenses associated with a vessel or offshore rig, ranging from maintenance and repair, to regulatory requirements, purchasing and inventory, and crew management and payroll.