Andersen leaves Maersk Oil

Andersen leaves Maersk Oil    A.P. Moller – Maersk said Thomas Thune Andersen will leave his position as chief executive officer of Maersk Oil and partner of Firmaet A.P. M'ller by the end of August.
   The new CEO of Maersk Oil will be Jakob Thomasen, head of exploration and business development in Maersk Oil. Furthermore, he will become a member of A.P. Moller ' Maersk Group's executive board.
   Andersen has been with the A.P. Moller – Maersk for 32 years, a partner since 2005 and for the last five years CEO of Maersk Oil. In the United States he served as president and CEO of Maersk Inc. in 2001-2004 with responsibility for the company’s activities in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, and was based at the company’s office in Madison, N.J. Maersk did not say what his future plans were.
   'During recent years, Thomas Thune Andersen has led the process of focusing the oil exploration activities and opening Maersk Oil to the outside world. This has been achieved successfully and Thomas Thune Andersen will be leaving a company almost twice the size as when he took over. Thomas Thune Andersen was offered an alternative position in the group, which he, however, declined. A decision I regret. We are now entering a new phase where exploration, field development and operating activities are top priorities and Jakob Thomasen has the right background for these activities,' said Nils S. Andersen, partner and group CEO.
   Thomasen, 47, was head of Maersk Oil's activities in Qatar in 2004-2009. As a geologist, he began his career in Maersk Oil in 1988.
   The owners of Firmaet A.P. M'ller will subsequently be Maersk Mc-Kinney M'ller, Andersen, Claus V. Hemmingsen, Eivind Kolding and S'ren Skou.
   The executive board will comprise Andersen, Hemmingsen, Kolding, Skou and Thomasen.