Al-Ghamdi to lead S-Oil
By Lee Hyo-sik
Othman Al-Ghamdi
S-Oil has appointed Othman Al-Ghamdi as its new CEO effective Monday, replacing outgoing Nasser Al-Mahasher who managed the major Korean refiner for more than four years.
The refiner’s board of directors approved his appointment at a meeting earlier in the day.
The Saudi national has held key posts at Saudi Aramco, which has a 63.4 percent stake in S-Oil, throughout his 25-year career.
Among other positions, he has served as chief engineering manager at Saudi Aramco’s Riyadh refinery.
Al-Ghamdi developed insights into the Asian market while working at Fujian Refining & Petrochemical Company, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, Exxon Mobil and Sinopec, from 2004 to 2008, according to S-Oil officials.
The refiner said its new CEO has the ability to respond to market changes with agility, and possesses a balanced understanding of Asia and Asian cultures.
Since September 2015, he has been serving as head of Saudi Aramco’s Korean office, Aramco Asia Korea.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, S-Oil will continue to fulfill its role in improving local communities and caring for the underprivileged,” Al-Ghamdi said. “We will continue to listen to our clients and implement customer-oriented policies. We will do our best to transform S-Oil into a more environment-friendly, innovative energy company.”
Al-Ghamdi received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master of business administration from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.