French seismic player CGG names new CEO

France’s marine seismic acquisition specialist CGG has appointed Sophie Zurqzuyah as its new CEO after Jean-Georges Malcor decided not to pursue his mandate following the restructuring completion.

CGG Chairman Mr Rémi Dorval said “With the appointment of Sophie as Chief Executive Officer and the recent cooptation of new Directors, the Board has now completed the process of renewing its governance. The Board is convinced that with Sophie, CGG will get a CEO with a strong knowledge of the company and the industry that will be able to lead the CGG Group successfully for years to come.

“Sophie will take office at the end of the next general meeting on April 26. Until then, the Group remains managed by Jean-Georges. The Board would like to take now this opportunity to thank Jean-Georges for his exceptional leadership at CGG and his outstanding contribution during the financial restructuring of the company.”

Sophie Zurquiyah was previously Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Senior Executive Vice President in charge of the GGR segment, Technology and Global Operational Excellence. She joined CGG in 2013 after 22 years in the oilfield services industry, working for Schlumberger in global executive positions ranging from business, operations, functional to technology, based in France, the United States and Brazil. She is a graduate of École Centrale de Paris, holds a master in Numerical analysis from the University of Paris VI (UPMC) and a master in Aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado.

In a statement released on Friday, CGG also announced the cooptation of Helen Lee Bouygues to replace BPI France Participations, resigning from its Board position, for the remainder of its term, i.e. until the general meeting called to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020.

CGG also said Heidi Petersen would replace Didier Houssin, resigning from his Board position, for the remainder of his term, i.e. until the general meeting called to approve the financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2020.