Capricorn issues details of new board members

Capricorn Energy plc issued details of its new board members appointed at this week’s requisitioned general meeting.

None of the directors currently holds shares in the company.

CHRIS COX

Interim chief executive officer Chris Cox has more then 40 years’ experience in the global oil and gas upstream sector.

Having held various senior roles with BG Group, Amerada Hess, and Chevron throughout his career, he served most recently as CEO of Spirit Energy and managing director of Centrica plc.

His advisory experience includes serving as non-executive chairman of Kellas Midstream from 2015 to 2020.

MARIA GORDON

Ms Gordon has strong governance experience, having served as chair, and senior director of various public companies.

She currently serves as non-executive chair of Constellation Oil Services, an oil services company based in Brazil.

Ms Gordon has two decades of direct investment experience in senior role leading teams at Goldman Sachs and PIMCO, and brings considerable expertise in portfolio management and equity and debt capital markets.

In the past five years, she has served as non-executive chair of Detsky Mir Group and independent non-executive director of Evraz plc, TCS Group Holding plc, Polyus PJCS, Moscow Stock Exchange, and ALROSA.

RICHARD HERBERT

Mr Herbert is an expert in operations, reservoir management and exploration, with a background in negotiating complex commercial agreements with governments and field partners.

He served most recently as CEO of Frontera Energy Corporation, before which he served two decades with bp in senior explorations and development positions including head of exploration.

He was a member of Talisman Energy’s executive team and is currently an independent non-executive director of PGS ASA, and UK onshore oil and gas company Angus Energy plc.

HESHAM MEKAWI

Hesham Mekawi is a senior corporate executive with more than 30 years’ experience at bp, where he served most recently as regional president of bp North Africa.

Mr Mekawi previously held roles with bp and Amoco focused on financial operations, strategic planning, economic analysis, and business development, and also led the Egyptian side of the Egyptian British Business Council from 2013 to 2020.

He is currently an independent non-executive director of Alexandria Medical Center in Egypt and independent non-executive director of Orange Egypt.

In the past five years, Hesham has been an independent non-executive director of Telecom Egypt.

TOM PITTS

Tom Pitts has more than 25 years’ investment banking and private equity experience in public and private markets.

He is currently a partner at LionRock Capital and has held senior leadership positions at firms including Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, and D.E. Shaw.

He has direct investment experience in numerous emerging and frontier markets, including Vietnam, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Laos.

Mr Pitts previously served as a non-executive director of FC Internazionale Milano S.p.A from 2019 to 2021.

CRAIG VAN DER LAAN

Mr Laan has nearly three decades of senior international executive experience across a wide range of industries – including multinational public companies at FTSE100 and ASX20 level – with exposure to operations in more than 50 countries.

Most recently serving as CEO of the New South Wales Government’s Barangaroo Delivery Authority, he previously held several positions with the Brambles Group and senior executive and advisory roles with the Westfield Group, Transurban Group, CIMIC Group, Lend Lease Corporation, and the Foster’s Group.

Mr Laan is currently an independent non-executive director of Shape Australia Corporation Ltd, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.