People in the industry

Andy McDowell has been promoted to publisher of World Oil magazine, succeeding Ron Higgins, who will continue on as V.P. of Gulf Publishing Company. Previously, McDowell had been the magazine’s associate publisher and had served as sales manager since 2009. Prior to working for Gulf Publishing Company, McDowell spent one year in a management trainee program for Clear Channel Entertainment, based in London and Houston. 

BP Plc has appointed the former head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service as a board member. John Sawers was chief of MI6, as the service is known, for five years until November 2014. He spent 36 years working for the British government in international affairs and security including in Iraq, Egypt, South Africa and the U.S. Sawers brings geopolitical and intelligence expertise from his roles in the Middle East, a region where BP has worked since its inception as the Anglo-Persian Oil Co. in 1908.

Vallourec has made several key appointments in its North American region. Effective Aug. 1, William Gamisans has been named managing director for Vallourec Tube-Alloy worldwide; Trina Rauscher-Cooper, who is currently V.P., will assume responsibilities for Vallourec Drilling Products and Vallourec Tube-Alloy worldwide; and David Bousquet will move from general manager for Valinox Nucleaire Tubes Co., Lt, China, to V.P., Operations Support, for Vallourec Drilling Products.

Xodus Group has promoted Andrew Sewell to global subsurface lead. Sewell will be responsible for driving the company’s global subsurface capabilities. Sewell began his career with Schlumberger after graduating from Cambridge University. Sewell has more than 24 years of industry experience, and has worked across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Some of his ongoing projects include the management of exploration projects in Kenya and field development projects in Kurdistan and Nigeria. 

VAALCO Energy, Inc., said that Cary Bounds joined the firm as CEO, effective July 6. Bounds holds a BS degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University and has almost 25 years of widely varying experience at large, multinational energy companies, as well as at mid-sized and larger independent firms. For five years before joining VAALCO, Bounds held upstream positions at Noble Energy, in international assets management. Prior to Noble, he held a variety of management and engineering positions at multiple operators. He began his career at ConocoPhillips in 1991 as a production engineer.

CGG GeoSoftware has added Rick Mollison to its PowerLog software development team. Previously senior petrophysical advisor at Samson Energy, Mollison brings more than 30 years of industry experience in identifying and analyzing key wells for rock properties and net pay in support of geology, geophysics and reservoir engineering to CGG. 

Based in Chicago, Vance Scott is joining EY Americas Transaction Advisory Services as oil and gas leader. Scott joins EY from A.T. Kearney, a management and consultancy group, where he spent 20 years and served on both the board of directors and as the global oil and gas practice leader. He was responsible for implementing the firm’s global growth strategy and expanding its oil and gas capabilities. Scott is also a member of the oil and gas practice of Ernst & Young LLP. 

Equatorial Guinea’s Ministry of Mines, Industry and Energy has appointed Jose Manuel Abaga Mba to chief of staff. Mba replaces Lucas Nguema Mbulito, who recently became CEO of public power company SEGESA. Meanwhile, Mercedes Eworo Milam has been named director of petroleum economics, replacing Tomás Felix Ongo Ehapo. Milam also will retain her position as director general of hydrocarbons, in a merger of the hydrocarbons and petroleum economics portfolios. 

FairfieldNodal, a seismic data and technology company, has appointed Charles W. Davison, Jr., to president and CEO. Davison succeeds Walter Pharris, who is retiring after 35 years. Pharris will continue to serve as chairman of the company’s board of directors. Previously, Davison served as senior V.P. at Oceaneering International, Inc., responsible for the company’s subsea products group. 

Seatronics Ltd, part of Acteon company’s survey, monitoring and data business, has promoted Derek Donaldson from V.P. Asia Pacific to V.P. of global operations. As an ROV professional, Donaldson’s experience involves projects ranging from the shallow, low visibility waters of the Southern North Sea to the ultra-deep waters of Brazil. Donaldson will now be responsible for supporting regional V.P.s in managing and developing the global Seatronics business. Based in Singapore, he will continue to manage the regional office, while maintaining a global presence. 

DNV GL has appointed Tor Svensen to group executive V.P., and Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen to maritime CEO. Svensen had been the CEO and president of DNV GL since 2003. As group EVP, he will now support group president and CEO Remi Eriksen, with a particular focus on developing customer relationships and strategic projects for the company. Since 2013, Ørbeck-Nilssen has served as COO and senior V.P. of the company’s maritime business area. In his new role, he will continue to operate out of the maritime headquarters in Hamburg, Germany.

David Ellison has been named WFS Technology Ltd’s new sales director. With more than 30 years of experience in the subsea segment of the industry, Ellison will be responsible for developing a growing portfolio of national and international accounts. He has extensive experience in commercial, marketing and business development roles.  

Specialty chemicals company, Clariant, has announced the appointment of Allen “Al” Ferguson as oil services manager, Canada. Ferguson will help serve Clariant’s customers in the production of the world’s most difficult oil through the company’s application services and chemical programs. He will also be responsible for expanding the division’s market presence through the development of innovative specialty chemical technologies.

Steve Barrett has been hired as senior V.P., subsea products, at Oceaneering International, Inc. He will undertake worldwide responsibility for the company’s subsea products segment. Barrett previously worked for FMC Technologies, where he progressed from design engineer to global subsea services director. He holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA, finance and entrepreneurship, from Rice University.

Brad Childers, of Exterran, has been presented with the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 “Transformational CEO” Award for the Gulf Coast area. The award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and success in their businesses and communities. Leaders are nominated by external third parties, and Childers was selected by an independent panel of judges. As the award winner, Childers is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 national program.