Energy company Cepsa has announced the appointment of Maarten Wetselaar as its new chief executive officer, effective 1 January 2022.
Wetselaar will join Cepsa from Royal Dutch Shell, where he served on the executive committee for the last six years as the director for integrated gas, renewables and energy solutions.
He brings more than 25 years’ worth of experience as a global industry and energy transition leader in renewable energy, e-mobility, downstream, LNG and upstream.
Commenting on his appointment, Ahmed Yahia Al Idrissi, chairman of Cepsa, said, "We are delighted that Maarten is joining Cepsa. His knowledge and wealth of experience will be invaluable for the company as it builds on its strong 2021 performance to accelerate the implementation of its energy transition strategy to offer our customers and partners more differentiated and sustainable energy solutions."
'A Seasoned Executive With Extensive Experience'
Marcel van Poecke, vice-chairman of Cepsa described Wetselaar as "a seasoned executive with extensive experience" of the energy industry, particularly in the areas relevant for Cepsa.
"The board looks forward to working with Maarten and the rest of the management team as they continue to lead the company in its next phase of growth," van Poecke added.
Maarten Wetselaar commented, "Over the past two years, the company has proven its resilience as it successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to deliver on critical energy needs.
"It has also re-designed its business strategy and operating model to become more agile, customer-centric and play a leading role in the global energy transition. I look forward to working with Cepsa’s talented people, leadership team, and board members as we build on these achievements."
Wetselaar succeeds Philippe Boisseau, who will lead the business until the end of this year and then act as an advisor to the chief executive and the board.
In february of this year, the Spanish multinational oil and gas company partnered with Auchan Retail Portugal to open a My Auchan franchise store at one of its petrol stations in Portugal.
