TGS informed that Kristian Johansen will succeed Robert Hobbs, who has decided to retire after nearly seven years as CEO of TGS, on March 11, 2016.

Johansen joined TGS in 2010 as chief financial officer and was appointed chief operating officer in February of 2015.

Prior to joining TGS, Johansen was the executive vice president and CFO of EDB Business Partner (now Evry) in Oslo.

A native of Norway, Kristian earned his undergraduate and Master’s degrees in business administration from the University of New Mexico in 1998 and 1999.

Hank Hamilton, chairman of the board of directors, said: “The Board is deeply grateful to Robert Hobbs for the leadership he has demonstrated and the invaluable contributions he has made since joining the TGS team in 2008. Under his guidance, TGS has become the largest and most successful multi-client geoscientific data provider in the world. We wish him nothing but the best as he leaves TGS.”

“We feel very fortunate to be able to promote Kristian Johansen into the CEO position at this time. He has excelled in each and every role he’s had at TGS, clearly demonstrating a commitment to our core values of quality, service, integrity and growth. We are very confident in his ability to lead TGS going forward, particularly during the challenging market conditions our industry currently faces.”

Robert Hobbs stated: “I strongly believe that I am leaving TGS in the most capable hands in the industry. Kristian and the TGS executive team are the most talented managers in the geoscience data business. I wish them well and offer my full support as I move on to other pursuits.”

“It is a great honor to follow Robert and become the new CEO for TGS. Our solid balance sheet and a highly competent organization position us well to handle both the up and down cycles in the industry. I have appreciated the opportunity to work closely with Robert for the last six years and wish him all the best for the future,” said Kristian Johansen.