Aker Solutions, Fornebu, Norway, has appointed Paal Eikeseth president and CEO, effective Sept. 1, succeeding Kjetel Digre, who stepped down after six years in the role.
Eikeseth has led Aker Solutions’ Life Cycle business since 2022 and previously held responsibility for operations and growth in the U.K., Angola, Canada, and Asia. His background also includes performance improvement, restructuring, and consulting work at PwC.
“Aker Solutions has a strong foundation for continued transformation, and the board is confident that the financial and commercial experience of Paal Eikeseth will help drive this change,” said Leif-Arne Langøy, chair of the Aker Solutions board.
Eikeseth said his priorities will include improving project execution, reducing costs, standardizing deliveries, and making greater use of digital and autonomous technologies.
“We have already started this journey,” Eikeseth said. “We are reducing project costs, standardizing deliveries and using digital and autonomous solutions to deliver measurable gains, while expanding our customer base and market reach.”
His previous business segment also has direct ties to offshore vessel operations. In June, Aker Solutions secured a five-year agreement with Cenovus Energy covering engineering, maintenance, and operations support for White Rose field assets offshore Newfoundland and Labrador, including the SeaRose floating production, storage, and offloading vessel.
Digre became president and CEO in 2020. During his tenure, Aker Solutions broadened its energy services business and built what the company described as one of the largest project portfolios in its history.
“The company is in a strong position for its next chapter, and I am confident that Paal and the team will continue to build on this foundation,” Digre said.
Aker Solutions employs about 11,700 people in 13 countries. The engineering and project execution company serves the global energy industry, with work spanning offshore oil and gas facilities, floating production systems, offshore wind, carbon capture, and lifecycle services for existing energy infrastructure. Its offshore work includes fixed and floating production facilities, mooring systems, maintenance, modification, and decommissioning.
