Ex-Subsea 7 man to take chief executive role at DeepOcean

Offshore services provider DeepOcean has chosen a new chief executive officer (CEO) of the company.

DeepOcean said on Wednesday that Øyvind Mikaelsen was named as the company’s new CEO. He will take on the position on May 2 and will be based in Haugesund, Norway.

Mikaelsen was most recently the executive vice president at Subsea 7 and has 30 years of experience in the global subsea business holding various senior executive roles.

He began his career in the oil and gas industry with Kvaerner Rosenberg in 1988. Mikaelsen then moved to Norske Shell before joining Subsea 7 in 1992.

As a result of the appointment, current DeepOcean interim CEO Ottar K. Mæland returns to his responsibilities as the chief operating officer.

It is worth noting that Mæland took over as interim CEO after Bart Heijermans decided to step down from his position as CEO in November 2017.

Terje Askvig, DeepOcean chairman, said: “We are very happy to welcome Øyvind Mikaelsen on board. During his career, he has an impressive international track record of building strong customer focus, delivering operational excellence and strategic positioning in our industry. Øyvind shares our vision of making DeepOcean the leading global life of field subsea service provider in the oil & gas and the offshore renewables sectors with a solid commitment to safety and quality.

“I also want to extend the board’s gratitude to Ottar K. Mæland in moving the company forward as interim CEO with excellent stewardship.”

Regarding his appointment, Mikaelsen said: “DeepOcean is known for its can-do attitude and agile organization, and I am very excited about this appointment. I look forward to adding my experience from the global subsea industry and continue to build the company together with the team.”