PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Oil and gas major Santos has announced the appointment of Anthea McKinnell as CFO from January 1, replacing Anthony Neilson who has held the role since December 2016.

Neilson will stay with the company as chief commercial officer initially based in Sydney, where he will play a key role in overseeing the transition of the Oil Search business.

McKinnell has been with Santos as deputy CFO since 2019, and has previously spent 13 years at energy major Woodside where she held several senior executive roles, including SVP finance and treasury, VP global operations planning and performance, and acting CFO. She is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, holds a Master of International Tax from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University.

Santos MD and CEO Kevin Gallagher said Neilson and McKinnell would begin a handover immediately.

Gallagher said McKinnell had gained deep experience of the Santos business during the past two years, including playing a key role leading the successful $1-billion bond transaction in April this year, integration of the ConocoPhillips asset purchase and the current Oil Search merger.

“I am pleased to announce McKinnell as an internal successor in the role of CFO at this pivotal moment for Santos as we finalise a merger that expands our business regionally. I also acknowledge the outstanding contribution Neilson has made to Santos as CFO over the past five years, playing a significant role in the company’s turnaround, subsequent growth and acquisitions,” Gallagher said.

“I look forward to working with both McKinnell and Neilson in their new leadership roles as we deliver our strategy to decarbonise our base business, transition to cleaner energy and clean fuels, and deliver shareholder value from the Oil Search merger.”