Paal Kibsgaard
Paal Kibsgaard | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Ålesund, Norway |
| Occupation(s) | Petroleum engineer, business executive |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | Former chairman and CEO of Schlumberger; CEO of Katerra |
Paal Kibsgaard (born April 1967) is a Norwegian engineer specializing in petroleum and a business executive; he formerly held the positions of chairman and CEO at Schlumberger, recognized as the largest oilfield services firm globally.
Early life
Kibsgaard was born in April 1967 in Ålesund, Norway.
Education
He obtained a master's degree in petroleum engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology in 1991.
Career
Starting his professional journey at ExxonMobil in 1992, Kibsgaard transitioned to Schlumberger in 1997. He ascended to the role of CEO in August 2011, following Andrew Gould. During his tenure, Schlumberger's workforce was decreased by nearly 70,000 employees over a three-year span. In 2017, his reported compensation reached $20.8 million, reflecting a 12% rise compared to the prior year. Upon stepping down from Schlumberger in August 2019, he was succeeded by Olivier Le Peuch as CEO and Mark G. Papa as chairman. Post-retirement, Kibsgaard continued to receive an annual payment of $2 million related to consulting duties and non-compete clauses.
In 2019, Kibsgaard took on the role of COO at construction technology firm Katerra, where he had been a board member since 2016. He advanced to CEO in June 2020, replacing Michael Marks. His leadership change occurred alongside securing several hundred million dollars in fresh capital from SoftBank Vision Fund.
Personal life
In 2004, Kibsgaard married Fadila Kibsgaard, an Algerian medical doctor. The couple has twin daughters born in 2008.