Petrofac has appointed Paul Groves as the new managing director of Petrofac Training Services. Groves, who started on 29 June, succeeds Leigh Howarth who has been with the Petrofac group since 1996.

Groves joins directly from Shell where, since 2001, he has held a number of business development roles within the organisation, most recently as general manager, strategic business development for the Royal Dutch Shell Group BV. Having trained as a Chartered Engineer and scientist, Groves started his career as a lecturer of physics at Oxford University before moving into management roles in organisations such as Alcan Aluminium Limited and British Gas/BG PLC. In addition to his experience in strategic and international business development, he brings significant operational and technical expertise which will be invaluable to position Training Services for long-term growth in international markets.

Groves will operate out of Training Services’ UK headquarters in Aberdeen, and will have a regular presence in the Middle East and Asia Pacific, in particular.

Maroun Semaan, group chief operating officer, Petrofac, said: “I am delighted to welcome Paul Groves to Petrofac. His invaluable skills will help steer Petrofac’s Training Services business into its next chapter of international development. Paul’s credentials will ensure that we can continue to build upon the excellent work achieved by Leigh.”

Paul Groves, managing director, Training Services, said, “The opportunity to join a growing company with such an enviable reputation in the market is a privilege. I believe the training business is not just a market leader in its own right but is also pivotal in delivering and enabling other growth opportunities for Petrofac. I am very excited by the prospect of leading Training Services into the next phase of its development and contributing to the broader growth and success of the Company as a whole.”

Tags: Petrofac