ExxonMobil has announced the appointment of Richard Laing, as the new chairman and managing director of the company in Nigeria with effect from August 1, 2020.

The disclosure was made in a statement by the manager, Media and Communications, ExxonMobil, Mr Ogechukwu Udeagha.

According to the statement, Laing was appointed to replace Paul McGrath, who has been appointed vice president, Global Projects for ExxonMobil in Houston after spending more than three years in Nigeria.

Udeagha said, “Prior to his appointment, Laing was executive director of oil and gas production and related support groups for all of the ExxonMobil affiliates in Nigeria. Laing joined ExxonMobil in 1989 and has held variety of engineering, planning, safety and managerial positions in upstream and downstream operations while working in the U.K, Qatar, U.S. and Nigeria,” he added.

Udeagha said that Laing hold a bachelor’s degree in Mining and Petroleum Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow and Master’s in Petroleum Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

In his reaction, Liang said; “It is a privilege to lead the ExxonMobil team in Nigeria and build on the work that Paul McGrath had done over the last three years. I look forward to the work that lies ahead and continuing the company’s outstanding relationships.”