BP appointed Helge Lund, the former chief executive of the BG Group and also an ex-president and CEO of Statoil, as the new chairman of the company, BP announced Thursday.
According to BP, the London-based Lund will join the BP board as chairman-designate and a non-executive director on Sept. 1, and on Jan. 1, 2019, he will be appointed chairman.
"I am delighted that Helge Lund is to be BP's next chairman. Our industry is changing faster than ever as the world focuses on meeting the dual challenge of more energy with fewer emissions," BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg was quoted as saying.
"Helge has a track record of leadership in addressing these issues, characterized by his open-minded and forward-looking approach. Together with his deep industry knowledge and global business experience, he has all the skills necessary to lead the board today and into the future," Svanberg added.
BP Group Chief Executive Bob Dudley expressed his gratitude to the outgoing chairman and said, "Carl-Henric has steadily led our board through BP's darkest days and into this period of growth and modernization. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his strong support and clear vision over the past nine years."
"I am confident Helge, with the rest of the board, will provide the company with good governance and strategic guidance as we continue to grow and adapt through the energy transition," Dudley added.
A Norwegian national Helge Lund served as Chief Executive of BG Group from 2015 to 2016 when the company merged with Shell. He joined BG Group from Statoil where he served as President and CEO for 10 years from 2004.
By Huseyin Erdogan
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr