O’Brien to succeed Lance as ConocoPhillips president, CEO
ConocoPhillips has selected Andy O’Brien to succeed Ryan Lance as president and chief executive officer later this year.
O’Brien, currently chief financial officer and executive vice-president, strategy and commercial, also will join the company's board of directors. He was promoted to CFO last year, succeeding W.L. (Bill) Bullock.
Lance will retire as president and CEO and become executive chair of the board in a transitional role.
Konnie Haynes-Welsh, currently vice-president, finance and controller, will become senior vice-president and chief financial officer.
The appointments are effective Sept. 1, 2026.
Lance joined ARCO in 1984 and held a series of engineering and operations positions before advancing into executive leadership roles following Phillips Petroleum Co.'s acquisition of ARCO and the subsequent merger of Conoco Inc. and Phillips.
Here, a look back at Ryan Lance’s tenure and key milestones in ConocoPhillips’ evolution under his leadership.
He was named senior vice-president, exploration and production, international, in 2009 and became chief executive officer in 2011, leading the company's strategic repositioning in 2012.
“I’ve enjoyed an amazing 42-year career alongside some of the most talented people in the industry, and leading the company for the past 14 years has been a special privilege,” Lance said. “Today we have an exceptional portfolio and a world-class team ready to begin the next chapter of our history under Andy’s leadership. Andy has played a significant role in shaping our company and strategy and I’m excited to see him, his leadership team and our employees build on our track record of success.”
O’Brien joined Conoco in 1997 and held finance, planning, and strategy positions of increasing responsibility before joining the company's executive leadership team in 2022. Since then, he has overseen the company's Alaska and international businesses as well as commercial, LNG, finance, corporate strategy, investor relations, and mergers and acquisitions activities.
Haynes-Welsh joined ConocoPhillips in 2012 and has held leadership roles across finance and strategy, including corporate strategy, compliance, and Lower 48 operations. She later served as treasurer before becoming vice-president, finance and controller. Prior to joining ConocoPhillips, she held positions with PricewaterhouseCoopers and Mariner Energy.
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Mikaila Adams
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Mikaila Adams has 20 years of experience as an editor, most of which has been centered on the oil and gas industry. She enjoyed 12 years focused on the business/finance side of the industry as an editor for Oil & Gas Journal's sister publication, Oil & Gas Financial Journal (OGFJ). After OGFJ ceased publication in 2017, she joined Oil & Gas Journal and was later named Managing Editor - News. Her role has expanded into content strategy. She holds a degree from Texas Tech University.