Bristow Group Announces Senior Management Changes
HOUSTON, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bristow Group Inc. (NYSE: BRS), a leading provider of helicopter services to the offshore energy industry, today announced that Mike Suldo, Senior Vice President - Western Hemisphere and President of Air Logistics, LLC, plans to retire later this calendar year, and Bill Hopkins, Vice President - Global Standards, plans to retire effective March 31st, 2008. In conjunction with these retirements, Mark Duncan, currently Senior Vice President - Global Business Development of Bristow, will move into the role of Senior Vice President - Western Hemisphere. In addition, Patrick Corr, currently Senior Vice President - Global Training of the Company, will become Senior Vice President - Global Safety, Training and Standards.
Mike Suldo joined Air Logistics in 2002 and served in several key management roles, culminating in his appointment as President of Air Logistics in June 2005 at a very critical time in the Company's history. Prior to joining Bristow, Mike had a distinguished 14 year business and 20 year military career. William E. Chiles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bristow Group, stated, "During his six years at Air Logistics, Mike has made tremendous contributions to our business in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska and Latin America. In addition, for the past three years Mike has been an integral part of our global Senior Management Team, helping lead Bristow in ways too numerous to mention."
Mark Duncan will transition into the role of Senior Vice President - Western Hemisphere effective upon Mr. Suldo's retirement later in 2008. In conjunction with this change, the Western Hemisphere Division headquarters will be relocated to Houston. Mr. Duncan joined Bristow in January 2005 and has been providing invaluable leadership on all new business activities since his arrival, including strategic planning and market forecasting. Mark has over 20 years of experience working with several global oil and gas contractors and energy service companies. Mr. Chiles added, "Mark has demonstrated considerable organizational and leadership capabilities since his arrival at Bristow and I'm confident he's the right person to help guide our growth in the years to come."
Bill Hopkins joined Bristow in August 2004 during a period of significant change in the Company. Bill has achieved a very distinguished 37 year business career, including extensive experience in the energy service industry, particularly in the safety area. "Bill Hopkins has led several key global functions at Bristow, including Safety, Quality, Human Resources and Global Standards," commented Chiles. "As a member of our global Senior Management Team, Bill was a significant driver of the integration of various functions of Bristow into one global organization."
Patrick Corr will become Senior Vice President - Global Safety, Training and Standards following Mr. Hopkins' retirement on March 31, 2008. In this new position, Mr. Corr will have responsibility for the combined functions of the Global Training Division and the Global Standards Team. He will be based in Houston, but continue to be heavily involved in the oversight of Bristow Academy. Mr. Corr, a commercial pilot for more than 20 years, built a highly successful flight training business prior to joining Bristow in April 2007. Since then, Mr. Corr and his team have been implementing programs to ensure that Bristow has an adequate supply of engineers and pilots for the years ahead. Mr. Chiles added, "In his short time with the Company, Patrick has been instrumental in preparing Bristow for the future, and I look forward to working with him in his expanded role."
ABOUT BRISTOW GROUP INC.
Bristow Group Inc. is the leading provider of helicopter services to the worldwide offshore energy industry based on the number of aircraft operated. Through its subsidiaries, affiliates and joint ventures, the Company has major transportation operations in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, and in most of the other major offshore oil and gas producing regions of the world, including Alaska, Australia, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia and Trinidad. For more information, visit the Company's website at http://www.bristowgroup.com.
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Linda McNeill, Treasury Manager
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SOURCE Bristow Group Inc.
Released January 22, 2008