Weatherford names Halliburton man a new COO

Weatherford International, an oil and gas services company, has appointed a new executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO).

The oilfield services company said on Monday that Karl Blanchard was named as the new COO, to oversee all regions and product line operations like quality, health, safety, security, environment, sales, engineering, research and development, and supply chain.

Blanchard brings with him experience gained through more than 35 years in the oilfield services sector. He most recently served as the chief operating officer for Seventy Seven Energy, where he oversaw drilling, pressure-pumping, and rental tool operations.

Previously, he spent more than 30 years at Halliburton where he held senior leadership positions including the vice president of cementing, vice president of production enhancement, and vice president of testing and subsea.

Mark A. McCollum, president and CEO of Weatherford, said: “Mr. Blanchard has a long track record of bringing teams together to deliver operational excellence, strong financial performance and disciplined growth. I have witnessed the effectiveness of his leadership first-hand, and I am very much looking forward to working with him to create a more balanced and integrated organizational structure at Weatherford.

“By aligning several elements of our business under Mr. Blanchard’s direction, we will establish greater collaboration, innovation and process discipline across our organization.”

Weatherford CEO McCollum joined the company earlier this year after leaving the position of chief financial officer in Houston-based oilfield services company Halliburton.

He joined Weatherford in early March and assumed the roles of the company’s president, CEO, and board member in late April 2017.