Denver, Co., USA - October 1, 2014, Denver, Co., USA - SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, announces that Anthony J. Best will retire from his role as the company’s chief executive officer on January 31, 2015.
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Mr. Best joined SM Energy in June 2006 as president and chief operating officer. In December 2006, he relinquished his position as chief operating officer when Javan D. Ottoson was elected to that office, and on February 23, 2007, Mr. Best was elected chief executive officer of SM Energy when Mark Hellerstein retired from that position. He was appointed to the board of directors concurrent with his appointment as chief executive officer.
From 2003 to October 2005, he was president and chief executive officer of Pure Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of Unocal, where he managed all of Unocal's onshore U.S. assets. From 2000 to 2002, Mr. Best had an oil and gas consulting practice, working with various energy firms. From 1979 to 2000, he worked in a variety of positions with ARCO, including a period as president: ARCO Permian, president; ARCO Latin America, field manager for Prudhoe Bay; and vice president of External Affairs for ARCO Alaska.
Mr. Best has served on numerous industry and nonprofit boards, including Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS), Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry (CACI), New Mexico Oil & Gas Association (NMOGA), Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), and the United Way.
He is also on the board of Newpark Resources and the Private Enterprise Research Center (PERC), as well as the Advisory Council for Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He was elected president of the 10,000-member Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets Association in 2006, and also serves on the board of the 12th Man Foundation at Texas A&M.
Mr. Best earned a master of science degree in engineering management from the University of Alaska and a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1972. Following graduation, he served five years in the U.S. Air Force as an engineering officer. He is actively involved in SM Energy’s Corporate Governance and currently serves on SM Energy’s Executive Committee.
The Board of Directors appointed Javan D. Ottoson, currently President and Chief Operating Officer, to the Board effective as of September 26, 2014, and intends to appoint Mr. Ottoson as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer upon Mr. Best’s retirement.
Mr. Ottoson has been the Chief Operating Officer of SM Energy Company since December 18, 2006 and as its President since October 2012. Mr. Ottoson served as an Executive Vice President of SM Energy Company from December 18, 2006 to October 2012. He has been in the oil and gas industry for 22 years.
He joined SM Energy Company in December 2006. He served as Senior Vice President of Drilling and Engineering of EPL Oil & Gas, Inc. (formerly Energy Partners, Ltd.) from April 17, 2006 to July 9, 2007. Mr. Ottoson worked at Chevron and served as Permian Asset Development Manager, a position he has held since Chevron's acquisition of Unocal in 2005. Mr. Ottoson managed the Permian Basinassets for Pure Resources, Inc., a subsidiary of Unocal Corporation, and its successor owner, Chevron, from July 2003 to April 2006.
Prior to acquisition, he served as West Area Asset Manager of Pure Resources, Inc., a division of Unocal since 2003. From April 2000 to July 2003, Mr. Ottoson owned and operated a homebuilding company inColorado and ran his family farm. Mr. Ottoson also spent 20 years with ARCO and served in a variety of operational and financial roles, both domestically and abroad which includes President of ARCO China, Commercial Director of ARCO British, and Vice President of Operations and Development, ARCO Permian. ■