Exploration and production firm Northern Petroleum has promoted Keith Bush, 43, to managing director.
Bush joined Northern in May 2012 as chief operating officer and was appointed to the board last November.
Bush has a degree in physics. He started his career with Western Atlas Logging Services, then progressed to managerial positions in Amerada Hess, Burlington Resources and prior to joining Northern was general manager operations for E.ON Ruhrgas in Norway.
Northern also said Richard Latham, non-executive chairman has retired from the board and the selection of a new chairman is underway.
Derek Musgrove, who has been managing director since 1999, has also retired from the board.
Northern Petroleum has licenses in the UK, Italy, Guyane and the Netherlands. It is also looking to enter Canada and South Australia.
Musgrove said: “I have full confidence that my role is being handed to a very able professional manager for Northern, driving forward existing projects, particularly offshore in the southern Adriatic, and to carry on our planned new projects, particularly those in Canada and Australia. I trust that all shareholders will join me in welcoming and embracing Keith in his new role of directing the Company to a bigger future.”