ExxonMobil’s Mark Ward gets successor

After more than five years as chairman and managing director for ExxonMobil Upstream Companies in Nigeria, Mark Ward has got a successor for the post.

Ward, who assumed office as chairman and managing director on December 1, 2008, also doubled as the chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), a private sector group under the umbrella of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The 18 indigenous and international OPTS members operate 96 percent of the total oil and gas production in Nigeria.

Mark’s wealth of experience from working in various parts of the world has been an asset to ExxonMobil operations as well as the oil and gas industry in Nigeria.

Prior to this appointment, he was the executive director, production and exploration, Mobil Producing Nigeria and Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL), a position he assumed in April 2008. 

Mark joined ExxonMobil in 1980 as a process engineer, and worked in various engineering and supervisory roles in the Texas Gulf coast early in his career. In 1988, Mark was assigned to Mobil Oil Indonesia as Area Production Superintendent where he worked in various operations and project roles. 

Later, he was assigned to Mobil headquarters as business advisor and planning adviser from July 1991 to June 1993. Incidentally, this is Mark’s second duty tour to Nigeria, as he had worked as manager, production engineering and capital projects, Mobil Producing Nigeria, between February 1995 and September 1998. 

He was later assigned to Calgary, Canada as vice president exploration and production, ExxonMobil Canada-West and thereafter moved to Caracas Venezuela in April 1999 as vice president exploration and production ExxonMobil Venezuela. By December of that same year, he was made president and general manager, ExxonMobil Venezuela. 

Prior to returning to Nigeria, he became vice president, planning and asset enhancement in the corporate offices, ExxonMobil Production Company, Houston, Texas. 

The incoming chairman and managing director is Nolan O’neal.