Philippe Kavafyan, the former CEO of offshore wind turbine manufacturer MHI Vestas Offshore Wind (now Vestas), has officially taken over as the CEO of the recently established Norwegian offshore wind developer Aker Offshore Wind.
Kavafyan's appointment was announced back in May, when Aker Offshore wind said he'd deploy his vast experience from the wind industry to accelerate the deepwater wind developer’s growth ambitions across projects in Asia, Europe and North America, with effect from November 1.
Kavafyan replaces Astrid Skarheim Onsum, who has decided to pursue interests outside the company.
Kavafyan, who was recently also appointed as board member in Danish offshore vessel owner Maersk Supply Service, has 15 years’ experience in onshore and offshore wind energy, combined with previous experience in Power Generation within Electricité de France, General Electric, and Areva. Kavafyan is a graduate from Ecole Polytechnique and holds a Master’s Degree in Robotics and Industrial Management from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Mines in Paris, France.
Aker Offshore Wind, created in 2020 as an Aker Solutions spinoff, describes itself as a pioneer in industrializing the floating wind market.
The company welcomed the new CEO via a social media post stating the following: "Welcome to Aker Offshore Wind, Philippe Kavafyan! It is great to have our new CEO on board at Aker Offshore Wind's offices in Oslo, Norway. We look forward to leveraging Philippe's extensive experience and in-depth expertise from the industry as our fast-growing organization drives the development of floating offshore wind projects around the globe. The future is floating!"