LONDON, Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble
Corporation plc (NYSE: NE) today 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
first 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," said Ms. Robertson. "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 Robert 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
Robert 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 Julie 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," said
Julie H. Edwards, Lead Independent
Director and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee.
"Julie 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."
Ms. Edwards continued, "Succession planning is a priority and
key responsibility of the Board, and we have undertaken a thorough
and deliberate approach to identifying Robert as Julie's successor.
Noble has a strong bench of leadership, and the selection of Robert
as the Company's next CEO underscores our focus on developing
internal talent. Robert 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."
Mr. Eifler stated, "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 Julie, 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."
About Robert
Eifler
Mr. Eifler joined Noble in 2005 as part of the Company's
management development program working offshore and in various
operational roles and has held numerous operational and marketing
roles with increasing responsibility around the world. He currently
serves as Noble's Senior Vice President, Commercial. Prior to his
appointment to that role in August
2019, Mr. Eifler served as Senior Vice President, Marketing
and Contracts from February 2019 to
August 2019, and as 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 International Marketing. Mr. Eifler earned a
B.S. in Systems and Information Engineering from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from the Acton
School of Business.
About Noble Corporation plc
Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and
gas industry. The Company owns and operates one of the most modern,
versatile and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling
industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract
drilling services with a fleet of 25 offshore drilling units,
consisting of 12 drillships and semisubmersibles and 13 jackups,
focused largely on ultra- deepwater and high-specification jackup
drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions
worldwide. Noble is a public limited company registered in
England and Wales with company number 08354954 and
registered office at 10 Brook Street, London, W1S 1BG England. Additional information on Noble is
available at www.noblecorp.com.
Forward-looking Disclosure Statement
Statements regarding executive management changes, director
candidates, liabilities, the balance sheet, as well as any other
statements that are not historical facts in this release, are
forward-looking statements that involve certain risks,
uncertainties and assumptions. These include but are not limited to
operating hazards and delays, risks associated with operations
outside of the U.S., actions or claims by regulatory authorities,
customers and other third parties, legislation and regulations
affecting drilling operations, compliance with regulatory
requirements, factors affecting the level of activity in the oil
and gas industry, supply and demand of drilling rigs, factors
affecting the duration of contracts, the actual amount of downtime,
factors that reduce applicable dayrates, violations of
anti-corruption laws, hurricanes and other weather conditions,
market conditions, the future price of oil and gas and other
factors detailed in the Company's most recent Form 10-K, Form
10-Q's and other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties
materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect,
actual results may vary materially from those indicated.
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SOURCE Noble Corporation