Former Maersk Oil CEO to take Shell role in U.S.

Oil major Royal Dutch Shell has made a series of changes to its U.S. leadership team, including the appointment of a former Maersk Oil boss to the EVP Unconventionals role. 

Following a 36-year career with the company, EVP Unconventionals, Greg Guidry, will leave his role on June 30, 2018, Shell said on Tuesday.

Guidry will be succeeded by Gretchen Watkins, former CEO of Maersk Oil. Watkins will officially join Shell on May 1, 2018, and will be appointed EVP Unconventionals effective July 1, 2018. She will report to the Upstream Director and be based in Houston.

In addition, after more than 37 years of Shell service, Shell Oil Company President and U.S. Country Chair, Bruce Culpepper, has confirmed his plan to step down from this role effective December 31, 2018.

Concurrent with Culpepper stepping down, Gretchen Watkins will assume the role of Shell Oil Company President and U.S. Country Chair, accountable to the CEO. While serving in her expanded role, Watkins will retain her title as EVP Unconventionals.

Watkins started her role at Maersk Oil in October 2016, following the separation of the Maersk Group’s businesses into Transport & Logistics and Energy divisions. However, Watkins did not hold on to the position for too long.

Namely, after Total in August 2017 agreed to take over Maersk Oil in a transaction worth over $7.45 billion, Maersk Oil revealed that Watkins would not be joining Total following the completion of the transaction. The deal between Total and Maersk Oil was completed earlier in March.

Offshore Energy Today Staff