Beach Energy enlists Oil Search man as new CEO

Beach Energy has announced the appointment of Matthew Kay as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 17, 2016 or such earlier date as is available and mutually agreed.

Kay will take over from Acting Chief Executive Officer, Neil Gibbins.

According to Beach Energy, Kay holds tertiary qualifications in economics and a Master of Business Administration. He has over 25 years’ experience in the oil and gas industry.

He is presently Executive General Manager, Strategy and Commercial at Oil Search Limited. Kay joined Oil Search in 2014 after 12 years at Woodside Petroleum Limited and was before that at Santos Limited.

Kay’s experience includes strategy and planning, upstream commercial, mergers and acquisitions, production planning and business improvement, said Beach.

Glenn Davis, the Chairman of Beach, said: “Mr Kay has developed an impressive depth of experience and leadership style across the Australian and international oil and gas industry for more than twenty five years. We are excited he is joining Beach in the position of Chief Executive Officer and look forward to his leadership driving execution of our corporate strategy, and particularly so after the successful completion of our merger with Drillsearch in the near future. Matthew’s background and experience are a great fit with our strategy.”

Kay said: “I am delighted to be taking up this tremendous opportunity. I endorse Beach’s current strategy and look forward to the opportunities it presents for shareholders, even in this current oil price environment.”