Rowan elects Thomas Burke as new CEO; appoints Matt Ralls executive chairman of board
Rowan Companies has elected Dr Thomas P. Burke as the CEO and appointed W. Matt Ralls as Executive Chairman of the Board along with Sir Graham Hearne as new Lead Director of the Board. Mr Ralls will replace H.E. Lentz, who retired as the Chairman of the Board of Directors
“The company could not be in better hands with Tom as Chief Executive Officer,” Mr Ralls, who served as the 2011 IADC Chairman, said. “He has proven his leadership skills, first as CEO of our manufacturing subsidiary and more recently as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. Tom’s keen business sense, in-depth knowledge of our company and industry, and clear vision for the future will serve the company well in the years to come. I look forward to watching Rowan flourish under Tom’s strong leadership.”
Dr Burke, who serves as VP of IADC’s Offshore Division, became COO of Rowan in July 2011 and was promoted to President in March 2013. Dr Burke joined Rowan in December 2009. Prior to that, he was employed by Complete Production Services, an oilfield services company, as a Division President from 2006 to 2009, and as Vice President Corporate Development from 2004 to 2006. Before joining Complete, Dr Burke held various positions at Schlumberger and McKinsey & Company. He holds a PhD in engineering science from Trinity College, Oxford and an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.
