Roger Brown resumes as Seplat’s new CEO
Roger Brown, the new CEO of Seplat Petroleum Development Company plc, resumed on August 1, 2020. Brown is expected to lead Seplat into the next phase of the company’s growth aspirations following the retirement of the founding CEO, Austin Avuru, on July 31, 2020, after 10 years.
Brown joined SEPLAT in 2013 as the CFO and played a key role in the successful dual listing of the company in 2014 on both the London and Nigerian stock exchanges.
Similarly, since joining SEPLAT, he has played significant roles in various asset acquisitions by the company as well as implementing the company’s financial business model.
Brown played critical roles in the company’s successful landmark deals, Initial Public Offering (IPO) and financial structure of debt and acquisitions, as well as increased returns to shareholders.
He is very familiar with the local and global business environments and institutions. As the new CEO, he is expected to work towards reinforcing the company’s leading position in the energy sector.
Brown brings to the CEO role, an extensive knowledge of the company in his over six years as the CFO and a member of the Board. He has strong financial, commercial and Mergers and Acquisition (M&A) experience as well as proven people skills, which will be an asset as the company embarks on the next phase of growth.
One area of priority for SEPLAT is to ensure that liquidity and cash flow of the company remains strong and that the company’s balance sheet maintains its resilience and robustness.
Prior to joining SEPLAT, Brown was an advisor to the company since 2010 while he was the managing director and head of EMEA Oil and Gas at Standard Bank Group. During his time at the bank, he was instrumental in providing advice and deploying capital across the African continent
in the oil and gas, power and infrastructure, and the renewable energy sectors.
SEPLAT’S new CEO is a qualified chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. The product of Belfast Royal Academy also holds MSC in Finance from University of Ulster; BSC (Hons) in Finance from University of Dundee. Brown set up the London office for the company prior to listing on the Nigerian and London stock exchanges (Main Board).
During his time at the company, he steered the business through extremely challenging times during low oil prices and an 18-month period when the business was not producing oil due to a shutdown of its main oil pipeline.
He also put in place a total of $1.75 billion of financing, which included an inaugural $350 million Eurobond as well as bringing in a number of top tier banks into the syndicate.
SEPLAT in line with its forward looking plans positions itself for a next phase growth ambition which would see the expansion of its footprint in terms of energy business activities, pursue offshore assets as well as opportunity driven entry into different geographies.
SEPLAT corporate transition, which sees Brown takes over as CEO would require a different kind of organisational structure, people skills set and mentality to competitively position well in the expanded space.
In view of this development, SEPLAT will no doubt be reviewing its current organisational and systems structure. Already, the Board of Directors of SEPLAT appointed Emeka Onwuka as chief financial officer (CFO) and executive director of the company. He joined the Seplat Board on August 1, 2020. The next stage Brown leads as CEO requires a wide global business/transaction view requiring deep financial and capital markets knowledge and experience.