Oil Search names new director, makes additions to board

Oil Search, the company with a 29 percent interest share in the ExxonMobil-operated US$19 billion PNG LNG project, said it has made changes to the board and sub-committees as the company’s director Bart Philemon retires, effective September 30, 2016. 

Mel Togolo, currently the PNG country manager for Nautilus Minerals, has been named as Oil Search’s new director, with effect from October 1, 2016, a statement issued on Monday reads.

Prior to being the PNG country manager for Nautilus Minerals, Togolo was head of corporate affairs at Placer Dome Niugini.

He was a founding member of the Business Council of Papua New Guinea and was the president of that Council for more than six years. He is currently a non-executive director of NASFUND and has previously served on the boards of a number of PNG companies.

Oil Search further informed that Ziggy Switkowski decided to retire as director at the end of 2016 in order to focus on other board commitments and Fiona Harris is set to rejoin the board following Switkowski’s retirement.

Harris served on Oil Search’s board from March 2013 to December 2015, when she resigned due to personal health issues.

The appointments of both Togolo and Harris are subject to shareholder approvals.

Independent board member appointments

Oil Search has created new roles at the board committee level naming PNG citizens as independent members that are expected to contribute to the effective functioning and execution of duties and responsibilities of the relevant board committees.

Richard Kuna, BBus, CPA, Audit Partner, KTK Accountants and Advisors has been named as independent member of the audit and financial risk committee.Prior to his current role, Kuna was a Partner in audit and advisory at KPMG.

Prior to his current role, Kuna was a partner in audit and advisory at KPMG. Kuna serves on the boards of changes to the Oil Search board of the Bank of PNG and the PNG government’s Central Supply & Tenders board, is a director of Kumul Mining and is president of CPA PNG.

Mary Johns, LL.B, company secretary, Bank of South Pacific has been named as the independent member of the People and Nominations Committee.

Johns served on the 2015 Pacific Games Organising Committee, was a committee member of the Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and is currently the Chair of Leadership PNG.

Serena Sasingian Sumanop, LL.B., MBus, Principal Legal Officer, PNG Department of Justice and Attorney General has been appointed as the independent member of the Health, Safety and Sustainability Committee.

Prior to her current role, Sasingian Sumanop was a lawyer with Gadens Lawyers and was executive director of The Voice.