Woodside Energy has significantly reshuffled its executive team by renewing its board and committee, as part of its continuous review of board skills and composition.
Ashok Belani has been appointed as a non-executive director, effective 29 January 2024.
“As part of our ongoing Board renewal, it is important that our next non-executive director appointment has extensive expertise in new energy and petroleum sector decarbonisation,” Woodside chair Richard Goyder said.
“After a global search, it is a pleasure to welcome Ashok to the board of Woodside.”
These changes are intended to enhance Woodside’s board and committees so that they are best placed to support Woodside’s global operations and strategic growth opportunities through the energy transition.
“Ashok adds new energy, technology and innovation expertise to our board,” Goyder said.
Belani brings a deep technological background to the board’s oversight of energy transition and climate strategy, alongside an understanding of policy settings designed to drive decarbonisation in the energy sector.
“He has an accomplished record in leading decarbonisation technology at SLB (formerly Schlumberger) which will be of substantial benefit to Woodside in its strategy to thrive through the energy transition,” Goyder said.
Belani holds a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Technologies in Electrical and Electronics from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi.
During his 43-year tenure at SLB, a global technology company, Belani held several roles including president reservoir characterisation, executive vice president technology and most recently, executive vice president new energy where he was responsible for deploying differentiated technologies and practices to decarbonise exploration and production operations, and the development of new avenues of growth in emerging markets with carbon-neutral technologies.
He remains a strategic advisor to SLB as he currently serves on the boards of Malaysia-based Gentari Sdn. Bhd., US-based Enervenuevand India based AMGreen Group.
Belani is also a member of the board of AStar, the agency for science and technology for the Government of Singapore.
He joins Woodside as an independent non-executive director and member of the audit and risk, the sustainability and the nominations and governance committees.
Belani will stand for election as a non-executive director at the annual general meeting in April 2024.
Two of Woodside’s long-serving directors, Frank Cooper and Gene Tilbrook, are anticipated to retire from the Woodside board at or before the annual general meeting in April 2024.
Cooper joined the Woodside board in February 2013 and was chair of the audit and risk committee throughout his tenure.
Tilbrook has served nine years on the Woodside board and was chair of the human resources and compensation committee from 2019 to 2023.
Arnaud Breuillac replaced Gene Tilbrook as chair of Woodside’s human resources and compensation committee, effective 7 December 2023.
Tilbrook remains a member of the human resources and compensation committee.
Ben Wyatt joined as a member of Woodside’s audit and risk committee and ceased as a member of the sustainability committee, effective 7 December 2023.
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