IADC Board of Directors elects 2021 officers

Robert H. “Bob” Geddes, Chair, Ensign Energy Services

Mr Geddes joined Ensign in 1991 and has been President and Chief Operating Officer since 2007. He acted as Vice President Canadian Drilling from 1999 to 2004 and as President Canadian Operations from 2004 to 2006.

He is a past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.

He holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the University of Alberta.

Jeremy Thigpen, Vice Chair, Transocean

Mr Thigpen joined Transocean as the company’s CEO in April 2015. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at National Oilwell Varco (NOV), where he spent 18 years.

During his tenure at NOV, he spent five years as the company’s President of Downhole and Pumping Solutions business and four years as President of its Downhole Tools group. He also served in various management and business development capacities, including Director of Business Development and Special Assistant to the Chairman. 

Mr Thigpen earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics and managerial studies from Rice University and completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School.

Scott McReaken, Secretary/Treasurer,  Northern Drilling Ltd 

Mr McReaken was appointed CEO of the Northern Drilling Group in December 2018. He had previously been a part of the Seadrill group of companies since 2012, where he served as CEO and Director of Sevan Drilling and CFO of North Atlantic Drilling.

Mr McReaken has over 15 years of experience in the offshore drilling industry, which includes various leadership roles in the United States, North Sea, West Africa and South America. Mr McReaken began his career at Arthur Andersen and is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor.

He holds a degree in business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.

Robin Macmillan, Division VP Drilling Services, Robin Macmillan, LLC

Mr Macmillan attained a degree in geology from the University of Leeds in England and started his oilfield career drilling in the Rio Grande Valley.

After joining ReedHycalog in 1991, he worked in several sales and management positions, including the management of Schlumberger Drilling and Measurements in Canada. Mr Macmillan was appointed President of ReedHycalog in 2008 and then Senior VP for Business Development at NOV. He currently works as an independent consultant.

Mr Macmillan has technical publications on drilling automation, drill bit design, managed pressure drilling and more. He also holds a patent on drill bit design.

He is chair emeritus of the IADC Advanced Rig Technology Committee and Vice Chair of the SPE Drilling Systems Automation Technical Section. 

Scott McKee, Division VP North America Onshore, Cactus Drilling Company 

Mr McKee is VP for Marketing at Cactus Drilling Company in Oklahoma City, Okla. He began his oilfield career in 2004 and is a past Chairman of the IADC Oklahoma/Texas Panhandle Chapter.

Mr McKee is a graduate of West Point and left active duty as a combat veteran and Army Captain. He is also a member of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association and the American Association of Drilling Engineers.

Brian Woodward, Division VP Offshore, Noble Corp

Mr Woodward is VP of Corporate Services at Noble Corp. In this capacity, he manages the company’s HR, IT, supply chain and HSE functions. He previously served as Noble’s Global Operations Manager and has held various domestic and international roles in operations, marketing, investor relations, HR and HSE since joining the company in 2002.

Mr Woodward graduated with a BBA in management from the University of Texas at Austin and received an MBA in oil and gas management from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Jim Tolsma, Division VP International Onshore, Parker Drilling 

Mr Tolsma has 30 years of industry experience with a number of drilling and oilfield service companies. He has been a member of the IADC International Onshore Advisory Panel since 2018. In this capacity, he has participated in discussions on various topics related to international land drilling.

Mr Tolsma has a BS degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from Texas A&M University.

Jason McFarland, President, IADC

Mr McFarland serves as IADC President. He previously held the dual positions of VP of Corporate Development and Chief of Staff. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Houston – Downtown Campus with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He has served in numerous capacities during his career at IADC, including management of the publications and membership departments.