ENERGY PLAYERS

Sara N. Ortwein, previously president of ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, is now president of XTO Energy. Ortwein transitioned into the Fort Worth, TX-based role in November. Ortwein earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin before joining Exxon in 1980 as a drilling engineer. Within the Exxon family of companies, she has served as a reservoir evaluation and planning manager, spent time as a corporate upstream advisor to senior management, worked as production manager for ExxonMobil's operated US production operations and served as vice president of engineering for ExxonMobil Development Company.

Deloitte admits Koeppen as principal

Mark Koeppen has been admitted as a principal within Deloitte Consulting's CFO strategy practice. As the leader for the firm's national Oil & Gas (O&G) finance practice, Koeppen oversees the firm's investments in its oil and gas digital finance practice and steers delivery for financial planning, budgeting and predictive analytics in oil and gas. Koeppen has led successful projects and client relationships at some of the largest energy companies during his 10-year career with Deloitte.

Upton joins Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Neil Upton to its global Energy & Natural Resources Practice Group in London. Upton joins the firm as partner, along with a legal and business development team, from King & Wood Mallesons in London, where he was the UK and Europe head, and global co-head, of the energy and infrastructure and project finance practice. Upton's global practice is focused on advising utilities, banks and other financial institutions, governments and NGOs on all aspects of the energy business, including the structuring, development and financing of projects, M&A, trading issues, privatization, market entry and regulatory matters. His expertise extends across sectors including power generation (both conventional and renewable), oil gas and LNG (liquefied natural gas), transmission and supply. Joining Upton in London are Sushma Maharaj, a senior energy lawyer with oil, gas, LNG and electricity

Blueknight Energy Partners names Kanvik as general counsel

Blueknight Energy Partners LP has named Joel Kanvik as general counsel replacing Chris Paul after his three years of service. Kanvik brings more than 20 years of experience to the organization, including 15 years at Enbridge Energy Company Inc. Kanvik has experience in corporate law as well as private practice. He most recently served as the Director – US Law and Assistant Secretary for Enbridge Energy Company Inc. in Duluth, Minn. Prior, he was in a private practice at LaRowe, Gerlach & Roy, S.C., in Madison, Wisc. Kanvik received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and a JD from University of Wisconsin Law School.

Hartung joins EY US Oil & Gas Practice

John Hartung has joined EY as a Houston-based oil and gas principal. He will also serve as Americas Oil & Gas Leader for Parthenon-EY, part of EY's global Transaction Advisory Services practice. Hartung joins EY from global consultancy Boston Consulting Group. Over the past 16 years, he has served in partner roles and been actively involved in the energy practices at both the Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Company. His primary expertise resides in the downstream segment of the oil and gas industry, but he has served clients on strategy and functional topics across the value chain including upstream, midstream, and commercial and trading operations. Hartung began his career at Mobil and ExxonMobil where he spent 10 years in a number of strategy and management roles.

Ham Joins Opportune as managing director

Jeremy Ham has joined Opportune LLP, an international energy consulting firm, as a managing director in the firm's Strategy and Organization practice. Based in Houston, Ham will focus on developing and executing strategic solutions designed to lower transaction costs and mitigate risks. He joins Opportune with extensive energy industry experience in mergers and acquisitions, evaluation and integration, deal structuring and negotiations, capital raising, strategic planning and business development. He previously served as executive vice president at NuDevco Midstream Partners LLC, where he led strategic transactions and business development. He also held roles as vice president of strategy and business development at Marlin Midstream Partners LP.

Weatherford founder resigns CEO post

Weatherford International plc has named Robert Rayne as chairman and Krishna Shivram as interim CEO following the departure of Bernard J. Duroc-Danner in early November. Duroc-Danner previously served as chairman, president, and CEO. Rayne previously served as vice chairman of the board. Shivram will continue as CFO until a successor is named. Shivram was appointed executive vice president and CFO of the company in November 2013. He has over 25 years of financial and operational management experience in the oilfield service industry and previously worked for Schlumberger Ltd. in a variety of roles across the globe. The company board of directors has named Dr. Bernard J. Duroc-Danner as Chairman Emeritus. In a statement, the company notes that Duroc-Danner will not receive any remuneration for the honorary and advisory role to the board.

Paragon Offshore names interim CEO, CFO

Paragon Offshore plc has appointed Dean E. Taylor, a director of the company since its founding in 2014, to serve as interim president and CEO. Lee M. Ahlstrom, currently the company's senior vice president of investor relations, strategy, and planning, was named interim CFO. Taylor and Ahlstrom succeed Randall D. Stilley and Steven A. Manz, who are no longer with the company. Stilley is no longer a member of the Paragon Board of Directors. Taylor has served as a member of Paragon's Board of Directors and as the chairperson of Paragon's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee since 2014. He previously served in a variety of roles at Tidewater Inc. from 1978 through 2012, including CEO and chairman of the board. Ahlstrom has more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. Prior to his role at Paragon, he served as senior vice president – strategic development and vice president of investor relations and planning of Noble Corp.

Husky Energy CEO to retire

Husky Energy's president and CEO, Asim Ghosh, will retire effective December 5, 2016. Ghosh will remain on the Board of Directors. Ghosh has been with Husky Energy for seven years. Rob Peabody, Husky's COO since 2006, has been appointed president and CEO and will join the Board of Directors effective December 5, 2016. Peabody started his career in Canada and has worked internationally with leadership roles in every segment of the business, including senior positions in exploration and production, midstream and downstream.

Peakes joins Noble as SVP, CFO

Noble Corp. plc has named Adam C. Peakes senior vice president and CFO, effective January 23, 2017. Peakes will oversee corporate finance, financial reporting, accounting, tax and treasury activities at the ccompany. Since 2011, Peakes has served as managing director and Head of OFS Investment Banking at Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Company. From 2000 – 2011, he served in various roles at Goldman Sachs & Company, most recently as managing director, Global Natural Resources – Investment Banking Division. Peakes received his undergraduate degree from Rice University in 1995 and an MBA from Harvard University in 2000.

EXCO names Farquharson acting CFO

EXCO Resources Inc. has made changes to its management team. Tyler Farquharson, EXCO's current vice president of strategic planning, became EXCO's acting CFO and treasurer on November 2, 2016 following the departure of Chris Peracchi, EXCO's former vice president, acting CFO and treasurer. Farquharson will continue to serve as EXCO's vice president of strategic planning and lead the investor relations function. Farquharson has been with the company for 11 years. Peracchi became EXCO's treasurer and director of finance and investor relations in May 2013 and became its vice president of finance and investor relations in September 2014. He was named vice president and acting CFO in late August following the departure of Richard A. Burnett, EXCO's former vice president and CFO. Burnett left EXCO to pursue another opportunity.

Tesco names Gatlin SVP, COO

Tesco Corp. has named John Gatlin as senior vice president and COO, effective immediately. In this role, Gatlin will lead both the Products and Tubular Services segments and be responsible for Tesco's QHSE, global manufacturing and supply chain management. He will report directly to Fernando Assing, Tesco's president and CEO. Gatlin has 20 years of experience in the energy services and consulting businesses. He joins Tesco from a position as senior advisor to the chairman of Chemeor Inc. and previously served as Chemeor's president and CEO from April 2014 to April 2016. Earlier, Gatlin held several management roles with National Oilwell Varco, most recently as president of the Pressure Pumping Equipment division. Gatlin holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Westney elected to NAC

The National Academy of Construction (NAC) has elected Richard E. Westney, Founder and Director of Westney Consulting Group Inc., as a member of its 2016 class. He was inducted October 20. The 2016 class includes 30 new inductees. Three hundred industry leaders were considered for the NAC's rigorous nomination and election process. Westney has developed new strategic project planning concepts and conducted workshops worldwide. His clients include major oil companies, national oil companies, drilling and production service providers, contractors, and project investors. He is the author or co-author of five books on project management, cost, and risk. He has served as visiting faculty for executive programs at Stanford, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and the Moscow School of Management. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from City College of New York and a master's degree in management science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

O'Leary joins management team at Venture Global LNG

Venture Global LNG Inc. has hired John Brian O'Leary as senior vice president of operations. Before joining Venture Global, O'Leary acted as the COO of Cameron LNG, where he led the pre-operations planning for commissioning and operation of three trains of LNG (4.5 MTPA each). O'Leary has over 25 years of experience with ExxonMobil in the areas of pre-operations, planning and commissioning of LNG terminals. Venture Global continues its development plans for the 10 MTPA Venture Global Calcasieu Pass facility on an approximately 1,000-acre site located at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico, and the 20 MTPA Venture Global Plaquemines LNG facility in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on an approximately 630-acre site at river mile marker 55 on the Mississippi River, located 30 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Bacon joins Kirkland & Ellis as corporate partner in Houston

Doug Bacon has joined Kirkland & Ellis LLP as a corporate partner in the Houston office. Bacon advises private equity firms, companies and corporations on complex multinational mergers and acquisitions, many of which involve carve-out acquisitions and sales. Bacon joins Kirkland from the New York office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, where he was a partner. Prior to Freshfields, he was an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Bacon holds a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, and a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, from Baylor University.

Duff & Phelps names Bell senior advisor

Graeme Bell has joined Duff & Phelps as a senior advisor to the firm's Corporate Finance Advisory practice, with a focus on the oil and gas industry. Based in Aberdeen, Bell offers expertise and insight into the North Sea Fields to support the firm's global oil and gas M&A business. Bell has 20 years of energy experience with C-suite roles at Viking SeaTech, Green Ocean Energy, Nautronix, and JDR Cable Systems. He is also the founder of, and current managing director at Bell & Associates Ltd., which provides a full range of management and financial advisory services. He holds a degree from McMaster University, as well as a post-graduate diploma in accounting from the University of Strathclyde. He also holds two non-executive director roles in the oil and gas industry.

7 Mile Advisors names Churman as director

7 Mile Advisors, a middle-market investment banking firm focused on business services and technology, has named Neil Churman as director and head of the firm's Infrastructure & Energy Services practice. With nearly 10 years of experience focusing on the architecture, engineering, and environmental consulting (AEC) industries, Churman will be located in the firm's Houston office and lead all facets of the firm's expanding presence in infrastructure and energy services sectors. Previously, Churman served as a principal consultant at Morrissey Goodale, a consulting and advisory firm, where he advised AEC clients on M&A and corporate strategy.

Pacific Exploration & Production names McAllister CFO

Following a restructuring, Pacific Exploration & Production Corp., a Canadian-based explorer and producer of natural gas and crude oil, has named Columbian oil and gas executive Camilo McAllister as CFO. Jim Latimer, previously the chief restructuring officer at Pacific, will be appointed interim president and CEO while the board, assisted by executive search firm Spencer Stuart, completes the process to select a permanent replacement. Pacific has implemented a strategy to narrow its geographic focus to Colombia and Peru. The company sold its Brazilian assets and suspended its expansion into Mexico.

32 Degrees Capital appoints managing partner

32 Degrees Capital has named Trent Baker as a managing partner. Baker will lead the deal team in sourcing, due diligence, and investment monitoring. Baker has been with the firm for nine years in progressively senior roles encompassing various aspects of portfolio management and firm operations. Founded in 2004, 32 Degrees Capital is an oil and gas focused private equity firm based in Calgary, Canada.

BNK Petroleum appoints Neuhauser as director

BNK Petroleum Inc. has named David Neuhauser as a new director of the company. Neuhauser is founder and managing director of Livermore Partners based in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, Illinois. Livermore Partners LLC is a private investment firm serving institutions, high-net worth individuals and private equity sponsors. Neuhauser has extensive experience in capital markets and M&A activity and has over 20 years of experience in strategic investments including oil and gas. Prior to founding Livermore, Neuhauser was founder and president of Loren Holdings Inc., a company focused on strategic investments across a broad group of industries. Neuhauser received his BA with concentrations in Economics from Northeastern Illinois University and has conducted Graduate studies in Economics and Sociology from Roosevelt University of Chicago. He is a current board member of TSX Venture Exchange listed Mitra Energy Inc.

Industry veterans join Amphora team

Amphora Inc., a global provider of commodity trading and risk management software solutions, has made additions to its team in both the US and Europe. Joining Amphora's London office are Neil Sanghrajka as Head of Professional Services EMEA/APAC and Mark Valentine as Senior Pre-Sales Consultant. Sanghrajka joins Amphora from Allegro Development where he was Director of Professional Services in EMEA. Before joining Allegro, he had similar responsibilities at SunGard Energy and originally came from the management consultancy industry. Valentine joins Amphora following many years at OpenLink and before that SolArc, where he helped start the company's international business. Joining Amphora's Houston office are Celia Dyer and Rachel Lowe. Prior to Amphora, Dyer was a Product Manager at both Calypso Technology and Triple Point Technology. Lowe joins from Lyland Associates, a consultancy she founded that focused on energy trading and risk management and business process re-allignment.

Sinochem names new president

In early November, China appointed Zhang Wei as president of Sinochem Group. The appointment was decided by relevant government departments.

Hutchings Assumes Chairmanship of OkOGA

At the recent one-day annual meeting of The Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association in Oklahoma City, OK, association members elected Wade Hutchings as chairman. Hutchings, who serves as regional vice president of Mid-Continent Assets for Marathon Oil, succeeds Rand Phipps, who had served as OKOGA chairman since 2007. Phipps serves as senior vice president, secretary, general counsel and COO of Mustang Fuel Corp. He will remain on the board of directors.

Energy Navigator engineer named to SPE Distinguished Lecturer Line-up

Randy Freeborn, chief research engineer with Energy Navigator, has been asked to share his expertise in Type Well creation with international audiences as an SPE Distinguished Lecturer for 2016-17. Freeborn is a petroleum engineer with over 40 years of experience. Every year, SPE (The Society of Petroleum Engineers – the largest individual-member organization serving upstream oil and gas managers, engineers, scientists, and other professionals worldwide) selects a group of experts to share their expertise with Society members through lectures given at local SPE section meetings. The lectures cover a variety of critical topics for the energy industry.

Petrofac names new CFO

Alastair Cochran joined Petrofac Ltd., the international oil and gas facilities service provider, in October, formally suceeding Tim Weller as the company's CFO and executive director. Weller left the group in October to take up the role of CFO of G4S plc. Alastair joined Petrofac from BG Group plc, where he was most recently Transition Head of BG Global Strategy & Business Development overseeing the integration of BG Group following its acquisition by Royal Dutch Shell plc. Prior to that Alastair was Group Head of M&A and Corporate Finance at BG Group.Chartered Accountant Alastair, who has 25 years' experience, began his career with KPMG and spent his earlier career in investment banking, including with Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, advising on a wide range of capital market and M&A transactions.

Santos appoints CFO

Australian oil and gas producer Santos Ltd. appointed Anthony Neilson as its new CFO. Neilson is a Chartered Accountant with significant experience in the oil and gas sector within the United Kingdom, China, South East Asia and Australia. He currently serves as CEO of Roc Oil Co. Ltd., which was acquired in 2014 by Hong Kong-listed investor Fosun International Ltd. Previously, Neilson was CFO of ROC and has held commercial, finance and business services roles at Caltex Australia, Credit Suisse First Boston and Arthur Andersen. Neilson holds a Masters of Business Administration from AGSM and is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and a Member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Neilson is expected to commence duties with Santos in December 2016. Current CFO Andrew Seaton, who will retire from Santos, remains with the company until the transition is complete.

OHH appoints Rachal as president

Oilfield Helping Hands (OHH), a nonprofit charitable organization comprised of volunteers devoted to providing financial assistance to oilfield workers in financial crisis, has appointed Gregory Rachal as president. Since it was founded in 2003, OHH has raised more than $3.3 million for more than 300 families affected by financial hardships. Rachal has extensive experience in drilling fluids, previously holding positions with M-I SWACO and Halliburton in sales, product line and account management, operations and project management across the US and working with major and independent operators in the Houston and New Orleans markets. He holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial art from Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La., and post-graduate qualifications in management and computer science from Tulane University, New Orleans, La.

Staton succeeds Morris as Southern Star President, CEO

Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline Inc. has appointed Jimmy D. Staton as president and CEO, effective December 5, 2016. Jerry L. Morris, Southern Star's past president and CEO, has assumed the role of president and CEO Emeritus until his retirement in early 2017. Morris announced his retirement after 39 years of service. Most recently, Staton served as executive vice president and member of the board of directors of Venture Global LNG. Prior, he served as CEO of the Columbia Pipeline Group, Northern Indiana Public Service Company and the Columbia Distribution Companies. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Petroleum Engineering.