After embattled CEO and founder Aubrey McClendon left Chesapeake in April, the company has been searching for his replacement. On May 2oth, the company announced Robert "Doug" Lawler was chosen to take the reins as CEO.
Lawler comes from Anadarko Petroleum, where his most recent role was VP of international and deepwater operations. He has worked for Anadarko or one of its predecessors, Kerr-McGee, since 1988. My guess is he'll be moving from the Woodlands to Oklahoma City in short order.
“He is a proven oil and gas executive with significant expertise in asset development, operations management and engineering as well as experience in corporate and strategic planning. ”
Before his latest post, Lawler led shale developments for Anadarko. That means he is intimately familiar with two of Chesapeake's major plays, the Eagle Ford and Marcellus. He also boasts an engineering background, which likely means he has a little different perspective than the previous CEO. Chesapeake was formerly run by landmen who led the "land grab" of the past ten years.
Mr. Dunham, Chairman of the Board, said: “Doug is a talented and proven executive with the ideal skill set to lead Chesapeake forward and capitalize fully on our world-class assets."
Lawler will be tasked with developing the vast resources Chesapeake has already secured across the U.S. The company is the second largest natural gas producer in the country behind ExxonMobil.
Read the full press release at chk.com