NextDecade Corp. has appointed Ivan Van der Walt as chief operating officer, effective July 1, and Vera de Gyarfas as general counsel and corporate secretary, effective July 12.
Van der Walt will continue to be responsible for all project management, engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations of the company’s LNG and carbon capture projects. He joined NextDecade in July 2018 as senior vice-president, engineering and construction. He holds nearly 30 years of experience in the energy industry, including senior roles with Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. (now McDermott) and Chevron.
De Gyarfas joins NextDecade with nearly 30 years of legal experience in the energy industry. She was previously a partner in Mayer Brown’s Houston office and a member of the firm’s oil and gas industry group. She has extensive LNG industry experience, including having represented Anadarko as operator of the Area 1 Block and developer of an LNG project in Mozambique, structuring and negotiating investments agreements, commercial contracts, LNG Sale and Purchase Agreements, and other activities in support of LNG project developers, buyers, and investors.
De Gyarfas is succeeding Krysta De Lima, who will be leaving the company effective July 7 to pursue other interests.