Offshore drilling companies Noble Corporation and Maersk Drilling, which are set to merge, on Wednesday announced Board of Directors for the combined company, to be effective upon the closing of the business combination announced on November 10, 2021.
In a joint statement, the companies said that the combined company’s seven-member Board of Directors, led by Chairman Charles M. (Chuck) Sledge, would provide "diverse and balanced" representation from Noble and Maersk Drilling’s current Boards of Directors.
"Each board member has significant leadership experience and brings unique perspectives on strategic planning, capital markets, M&A, E&P customers, legal and regulatory affairs, and sustainability in the offshore oil and gas industry," the duo said.
Sledge said: “I look forward to working with this experienced group of directors upon merger completion. The diversity of knowledge and backgrounds will serve the combined company well as the offshore drilling industry begins a new business cycle. Under this board’s governance and Robert’s leadership, I’m confident that the combined company will be the driller of choice for our customers and the equity of choice for investors.”
Maersk Drilling’s Chairperson, Claus V. Hemmingsen added:"I am pleased to accept the nomination as a post-closing Board Member. The combination of Maersk Drilling and Noble rests on a strong industry logic and I remain convinced that the new company will be a unique and unmatched player in the offshore drilling market. I look forward to building on the momentum of both companies, leveraging our shared values, strong focus on enhanced customer experience and commitment to sustainability.”
See below the combined company Board Members nominees and their bios, as shared by Noble Corporation and Maersk Drilling:
Charles M. (Chuck) Sledge, Chairman
Charles M. (Chuck) Sledge has served as chairman of the board of directors of Noble Corporation since early 2021. Mr. Sledge currently serves as chairman of Weatherford International and is a board member of Talos Energy LLC. Mr. Sledge was Chief Financial Officer of Cameron International Corporation from 2008 until 2016 when the oilfield services company was acquired by Schlumberger Ltd. Prior to this, Mr. Sledge held the position of Corporate Controller at Cameron International Corporation from 2001 through 2008. He brings valuable experience gained as an executive officer in the energy industry and extensive knowledge of accounting and finance. He received a BS in Accounting from Louisiana State University.
Claus V. Hemmingsen
Claus. V. Hemmingsen has served as chairman of the board of directors of Maersk Drilling since 2016. Mr. Hemmingsen currently serves as the chairman of DFDS A/S, HusCompagniet A/S and Innargi Holding A/S, and as a board member of A.P. Møller og Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møllers Fond til Almene Formaal (The A.P. Moller Foundation), A.P. Møller Holding A/S, Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskabs Jubilæumsfond, Fonden Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Global Maritime Forum Fonden, and Work Wear Group A/S. Mr. Hemmingsen is a member of the Danish Committee on Corporate Governance. Until 2019, Mr. Hemmingsen was the Vice CEO and a member of the A.P. Møller-Maersk A/S executive board and CEO of A.P. Møller-Maersk’s Energy division. Prior to this Mr. Hemmingsen was CEO of Maersk Drilling from 2004. Mr. Hemmingsen has extensive international, commercial, and managerial experience from the offshore oil and gas and shipping industries, including HSSE & sustainability, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and non-executive directorships. He has studied management at London Business School and Cornell University and gained an Executive MBA from IMD in 2007.
Alan J. Hirshberg
Alan J. Hirshberg has served on the board of directors of Noble Corporation since early 2021. Mr. Hirshberg is currently a board member of Falcon Minerals Corporation and McDermott International and formerly served as a Senior Advisor at Blackstone Management Partners. Between 2010 and 2019, Mr. Hirshberg worked for ConocoPhillips as Executive Vice President, Production, Drilling and Projects and Senior Vice President, Planning and Strategy. Prior to joining ConocoPhillips, Mr. Hirshberg worked at Exxon and ExxonMobil for 27 years, serving in various senior leadership positions in upstream research, production operations, major projects, and strategic planning. His last role at ExxonMobil was Vice President of Worldwide Deepwater and Africa Projects. Mr. Hirshberg received Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Rice University.
Kristin H. Holth
Kristin H. Holth has served on Maersk Drilling’s Board of Directors since April 2020. Ms. Holth currently serves as a board member of GasLog Partners, Maersk Tankers A/S, HitecVision AS, ABP AS, BI International Advisory board and chair of Equality Check AS. Before starting her career as non-executive director, Ms. Holth was Executive Vice President and Global Head of Ocean Industries in DNB Bank ASA – Norway’s largest financial services group and a global leading financial institution within the Ocean Industries. Ms. Holth has held numerous management positions within DNB over the years, including also Global Head of Shipping, Offshore & Logistics for 4 years and General Manager & Head of DNB Americas for 6 years. She has significant international, managerial, and commercial insight in global capital markets, shipping, offshore, oil & gas and oilfield services industries, with a strong focus on ESG matters. Ms. Holth holds a Bachelor in Economics and Business Administration from BI Norwegian Business School.
Alistair Maxwell
Alastair Maxwell has served on Maersk Drilling’s Board of Directors since April 2019. He comes from a position as CFO of Signifier Medical Technologies Ltd. and has previously held the position as CFO of GasLog Ltd. Prior to that, he worked in the investment banking industry for 29 years, most recently with Goldman Sachs from 2010 to 2016 where he was a partner and Co-Head of the Global Energy Group with responsibility for relationships with a wide range of corporate and other clients. Previously, he was with Morgan Stanley, most recently as Managing Director and Head of Energy in the EMEA region, and with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson in a series of roles in the Utilities and M&A Groups. Mr. Maxwell has extensive international and financial experience within energy markets, including mergers and acquisitions, privatization, restructuring and equity and debt capital markets. Mr. Maxwell studied Modern Languages (Spanish and Portuguese) at Worcester College, Oxford.
Ann D. Pickard
Ann D. Pickard has served on the board of directors of Noble Corporation since early 2021. Ms. Pickard is currently a director of KBR, Inc., Woodside Petroleum Ltd., and The University of Wyoming Foundation. In addition, Ms. Pickard is an active member of Chief Executive Women. Ms. Pickard worked for Royal Dutch Shell from 2000 to 2016 and held numerous executive management positions of increasing responsibility. She joined Shell after an 11-year tenure with Mobil before its merger with Exxon. She has 25 years of international experience as a senior manager in large organizations, with responsibility for major corporate transformations, maximizing return on assets in challenging environments, complex negotiations, large-scale development projects, and strategic planning. Ms. Pickard has significant business experience throughout South America, Australia, the countries of the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and Africa. Ms. Pickard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
Robert W. Eifler
Mr. Eifler has served on Noble Corporation’s board of directors and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company since May 2020. Previously, Mr. Eifler served as Senior Vice President, Commercial of the Company from August 2019 until assuming his position as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Eifler served as Noble’s Senior Vice President, Marketing and Contracts from February 2019 to August 2019, and as the Company’s Vice President and General Manager-Marketing and Contracts from July 2017 to February 2019. Before that, Mr. Eifler led Noble’s marketing and contracts efforts for the Eastern Hemisphere while based in London. From November 2013 to March 2015, Mr. Eifler worked for Hercules Offshore, an offshore driller, as Director of International Marketing. Mr. Eifler originally joined Noble in February 2005 as part of the management development program and held numerous operational and marketing roles with increasing responsibility around the world until joining Hercules in 2013. Mr. Eifler has extensive knowledge of the industry and will serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the combined company upon closing the transaction. Mr. Eifler received a B.S. in Systems and Information Engineering from the University of Virginia and an Acton MBA in Entrepreneurship.