TNK-BP's Barskiy quitting company - statement
MOSCOW. Oct 21 (Interfax) - The deputy chairman of TNK-BP's Management Board, Maxim Barskiy has decided to leave TNK-BP as of November 1 in order to carry on his professional career outside of the company, TNK-BP said in a statement.
Barskiy was appointed Deputy Chairman of the Management Board on June 1, 2010 and performed management of the company through organizing the operations of the board and coordinating activities of TNK-BP employees.
"Under Maxim Barskiy's leadership TNK-BP achieved record results in 2010 and continued to grow in 2011. The Company's effective expansion beyond its traditional markets, namely the successful acquisition of assets in Vietnam and Venezuela and the planned Solimoes project transaction in Brazil, has laid the foundation for TNK-BP's transformation into an international oil and gas player. These accomplishments were made possible thanks to Maxim's focused efforts," said Mikhail Fridman, Executive Chairman of TNK-BP. "These significant achievements driving TNK-BP's onward development, delivering efficiency growth and enhanced value creation for shareholders going forward," Fridman said.
"I highly appreciate Maxim's contribution to TNK-BP's development and his efforts to increase the value of the Company," said German Khan, Executive Director of TNK-BP. "I hope we will have the opportunity to collaborate with Maxim on new projects in the near future."
"I'm grateful to TNK-BP for the unique opportunity to obtain new knowledge and skills through managing one of the world's leading private oil and gas companies," said Maxim Barskiy. "Strong leadership, the ability to set ambitious plans and the commitment to deliver on them have always been distinguishing characteristics of TNK-BP. Development of the Company's strategy and solving day-to-day operational tasks, both in Russia and abroad, have provided me with invaluable experience that I will most certainly use in the future."
Sources told Interfax that Barsky, who has long been the only remaining candidate for the top job at the Russian-British oil company, is leaving the company. They said he was already telling his colleagues at the company that he will leave soon.
A number of sources had earlier told Interfax that Barsky may leave the company, recalling that Barsky himself had said that he would leave TNK-BP if shareholders did not name him CEO by the end of the year.
The post of CEO has been vacant for the past three years. Until the end of 2008, Robert Dudley, head of the company since its founding, was forced to leave TNK-BP as a result of the first conflict among shareholders.
After a long process of selecting contenders for the position of CEO, TNK-BP shareholders selected Barsky as a candidate in November 2009. He was supposed to enter the position on January 1, 2011, and until then pass through the probation process at BP.
However, his appointment has been delayed since December 2010. The sides have said they are still trying to agree on the necessary documents.
The CEO position is currently held by Mikhail Fridman, one of the main shareholders. In the meantime, Barsky has been given broad management authority in his position as deputy CEO.