OREANDA-NEWS. Wood Group has appointed Michele McNichol to the position of chief executive officer (CEO) for Wood Group Mustang (WG Mustang), effective immediately. Michele succeeds Steve Knowles, who will retire from Wood Group on April 1, 2015.

Michele has more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and has been with WG Mustang since 2001. She was previously executive vice president, with direct responsibility for offshore, onshore, oil sands and pipeline operations worldwide. She has served as president of the upstream business unit and regional director for upstream operations across the Americas. Her tenure at WG Mustang includes high-profile industry projects, including serving as WG Mustang’s project manager for BP Thunder Horse, the world’s largest semi-submersible production facility.

Steve Knowles has led WG Mustang since 2006, focusing on growth and international expansion. As a result, WG Mustang now has operations in 15 countries across five continents.

“Wood Group Mustang has had great success under Steve’s watch and we thank him for his strong leadership and commitment to WG Mustang’s business and people,” stated Bob Keiller, Wood Group CEO. “We look forward to Michele fulfilling the CEO role and bringing her perspectives, experience, leadership and energy to the job at a time when we see many challenges and opportunities ahead.”

“I welcome the opportunity to take Wood Group Mustang into its next evolution, focusing on efficiencies and effectiveness to deliver the most competitive, creative solutions for our customers,” stated Michele McNichol. “We will remain committed to our people-oriented, project-driven culture, which translates into highly effective teams.”

Michele earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University. She is a registered professional engineer in Texas and is a certified Project Management Professional.