The Chief Executive of Woodside, Don Voelte announced that he would be returning to his native US after handing over the responsibilities for the group's two highly complex growth projects Browse and Sunrise. The 57 year old has been at the helm of the company for seven years now.
He will leave when the 13 billion dollar Pluto LNG project is complete. The chief financial officer of the group Mark Chatterji also intends to return to the US in December.
The Perth based oil and gas company had expected the move and the Chairman Michael Chaney said that the search for a new chief executive was on. Woodside had hired the global executive search consultant Heidrick & Struggles to begin the hunt.
Michael Chaney said that both internal and external candidates would be considered. Amongst the internal candidates two key executives who may be jostling to ascend to the top job are Pluto executive vice-president Lucio Della Martina and North West Shelf executive vice-president Kevin Gallagher.