Noble Corp announces leadership transition plan
Noble Corp announced that its Board of Directors is implementing a leadership transition plan that capitalizes on the strength of Noble’s management team. At the close of the company’s next annual general meeting of shareholders, Julie J. Robertson will resign as President and Chief Executive Officer, and will take on the newly created role of an executive Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors. Robert W. Eifler, who joined Noble in 2005 and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Commercial, will become President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr Eifler will stand for election to the Board of Directors at the upcoming annual general meeting.
“The board and I are confident that now is the right time to transition leadership responsibilities to the next generation of talent,” Ms Robertson said. “While market conditions remain challenging, I have deep conviction in the core strength of our company, exemplified by the quality of our employees and fleet. Despite market conditions, we continue to benefit from high fleet utilization, advantageous fleet positioning in key regions, and strong customer relationships, and Mr Eifler has played a key role in developing these strengths. Furthermore, we are advancing our efforts to strengthen the company’s financial foundation and position Noble for sustainable value creation. I have worked with Mr Eifler for 15 years and am confident that he possesses the leadership qualities, institutional knowledge, financial acumen and customer relationships to lead Noble forward. I will continue to work closely with him, the leadership team and the Board as executive Chairman and look forward to further developing executive talent and fostering key stakeholder relationships.”
“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Ms Robertson for her more than 40 years of leadership, as well as her significant contributions and tireless commitment to our company, customers and employees, especially during these past two years as CEO,” Julie H. Edwards, Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, said. “Ms Robertson has been instrumental in helping Noble maintain its position as a global industry leader, and we look forward to continuing to benefit from her extensive experience and industry knowledge as executive Chairman.”
“Succession planning is a priority and key responsibility of the board, and we have undertaken a thorough and deliberate approach to identifying Mr Eifler as Ms Robertson’s successor,” Ms Edwards added. “Noble has a strong bench of leadership, and the selection of Mr Eifler as the company’s next CEO underscores our focus on developing internal talent. Mr Eifler is a proven executive who has held a range of responsibilities during his tenure at Noble, and his deep industry knowledge and strategic mindset make him the natural choice to be the company’s next CEO.”
“I am honored and humbled to have been entrusted by the board and am proud to lead our world-class employees and operations. Our strength remains in our people, and we will continue to focus on strong operational execution, to capitalize on our technologically advanced fleet, and to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. I am also committed to continuing our focus on the company’s balance sheet and liabilities. I look forward to continuing to work with Ms Robertson, the board and leadership team over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition as we continue to execute on our initiatives to drive long-term value for all stakeholders.”
