EQUINOR has appointed a new chief executive officer.
Anders Opedal will replace Eldar Saetre who is to retire after 40 years in the Norwegian energy company.
Mr Opedal first joined Equinor as a petroleum engineer in 1997, and in 2011 was chosen to lead the firm’s 300billion NOK project portfolio (£25.4bn). He later held roles including chief operating officer and country manager for Brazil.
He has degrees from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and the Norwegian Institute of Technology.
He will receive a base salary of 9.1m NOK (£760,600) with various bonus schemes in place.
Mr Opedal said: “I am honoured and proud to take over the responsibility as CEO. I am confident in Equinor and all our people, and in our ability to change and continue creating long-term value for our shareholders also in a low carbon future.
“We have a great starting point for what will be a massive transition with our strong assets, outstanding competence, technology and innovation skills, and we have highly engaged people and strong values to guide us in this process.”
The board paid tribute to Mr Saetre who will officially retire on March 1 next year and act as an advisor in the interim period.
Jon Erik Reinhardsen, Equinor chair of the board of directors, said: “Thanks to his leadership and strong performance across the organisation, Equinor is today a safer, stronger and more competitive company, well positioned to thrive in the energy transition.”
