16 Feb 2023 10:22

Naftogaz board elects deputy chairman, sets up advisory committees

MOSCOW. Feb 16 (Interfax) - The supervisory board of Naftogaz Ukraine has elected Nataliya Boyko as deputy chairman, Ukrainian media said citing the report of the state oil and gas company's press service.

The board has also established four permanent committees that will serve as advisory bodies and elected heads for each of them.

Richard Hookway was elected chair of the audit committee, Ludo Van der Heyden was named chair of the nomination and remuneration committee, Thor Martin Anfinnsen will lead the strategy committee and Anthony Marino will lead the ethics committee.

Ukraine's Cabinet appointed Naftogaz's supervisory board at the end of January. The new independent members of the supervisory board are former Senior Vice President of Equinor (Statoil) Tor Martin Anfinnsen; former President and CEO of Vermilion Energy and present President and CEO of Tenaz Energy Anthony Marino; Richard Hookway, who brings 33 years of experience at BP; and INSEAD business school professor Ludo Van der Heyden, Naftogaz said earlier.

The board also includes two state representatives: Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Rostislav Shurma, and Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ukraine on energy issues Nataliya Boyko. Boyko and Van der Heyden previously served on Naftogaz's supervisory board.

Marino was elected chairman of the board on February 10.

It was reported earlier that the appointment of a supervisory board at Naftogaz by the end of January was one of the five "beacons" of the International Monetary Fund's monitoring program with involvement of the board of directors, as well as one of the conditions for Ukraine to receive 18 billion euros in macro-financial assistance from the European Union in 2023.

Naftogaz's previous supervisory board stepped down in September 2021 and in October that year the Economy Ministry announced a competitive process to select four independent board members. The new board was expected to be confirmed in February 2022, but due to the military conflict the process was suspended. A new selection was announced at the end of 2022. In the meantime, cabinet ministers carried out some of the board's functions.

Naftogaz incorporates Ukraine's largest oil and gas producers. The group has a monopoly on natural gas storage in underground storage facilities and transportation of oil by pipeline within the country.