Board Appointments

RNS Number : 2131I

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC

01 July 2013

 



1^st July 2013

OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC

("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Group" or "the Company")

Board Appointments

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC (OCG.L), the leading technology innovator for synthetic fuels production, is pleased to announce that Paul Schubert and Julian West have been appointed to the Board as Executive Director and Non-executive Director respectively, with immediate effect.

Paul Schubert has been the Group's Chief Operating Officer since 2011. He brings some thirty years of experience in the petrochemical and natural gas industries, having held various technical and general management roles with SGS Group, Syntroleum Corporation, Catalytica, Phillips Petroleum, and Engelhard Corporation. In these positions he was responsible for day-to-day operations, process development and commercialisation, plant design, and asset integrity management. Dr Schubert is the inventor or co-inventor of 16 US Patents and author of over 40 publications. He holds a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from the University of Illinois, and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Arkansas.

Julian West brings forty years' experience of energy policy, in both the private and public sectors, and has broad expertise in international politics, privatisation, energy economics, and regulation of energy companies. Until 2008, he was a Senior Director at Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA), leading the firm's oil teams. Before joining CERA in 1996, Mr West was an executive and main Board Director at Enterprise Oil plc, where he was responsible for the company's planning and business development. Previously, at the UK Department of Energy (1974-83), he focused on oil and energy policy and financial control and, under different administrations, served as Principal Private Secretary to a Minister of State and three Secretaries of State.

Commenting on his appointment, Paul Schubert said:

"I am glad to join the board of Oxford Catalysts. Over the last few years the Company has grown from a developer of innovative technology for synthetic fuels production into a business capable of fully deploying the commercial embodiment of that technology to meet current market needs. I am looking forward to being able to contribute to the growth and success of the Company at a new level."

Commenting on his appointment, Julian West said:

"I've worked with Oxford Catalysts as a consultant since 2009. The Group has been stimulating and challenging as a client, so I am looking forward to this new relationship. It is a company for whose people and prospects I have acquired high regard."

Commenting on the appointments, Pierre Jungels, Chairman of Oxford Catalysts, said:

"I am pleased Julian West and Paul Schubert have agreed to join our Board at this critical phase of our development. Through his experience in senior commercial roles and as a consultant for the highly regarded CERA organisation, Julian brings us a deep knowledge of oil and gas markets worldwide and contacts at the highest level of the industry, both publicly and state owned. He has helped us already in the past few years and his understanding of our business and the needs of our potential clients will inform our Board in a very positive way.

"With our Company nearing possible explosive growth, a significant part of our success will depend on technical and operational excellence. Paul Schubert, as Chief Operating Officer, will add to the strength of the team of Executive Directors at this important juncture for the Company's progress."

The directorships and partnerships held by Dr Schubert (full name: Paul Frederick Schubert) (aged 57) now and over the five years preceding the date of appointment are as follows:

Current Directorships / Partnerships

None

Directorships in the past 5 years

None   

The directorships and partnerships held by Mr West (full name: Julian Daniel West) (aged 62) now and over the five years preceding the date of appointment are as follows:

Current Directorships / Partnerships

Executive Director/Partner: Julian West Consultancy Limited

Directorships in the past 5 years

None

As at the date of this announcement, Dr Schubert has an interest in 1,120,775 share options in the capital of the Company and Mr West has an interest in 75,000 ordinary shares in the share capital of the Company (which are in turn held through Julian West Consultancy Limited, which is owned 50 percent by Mr West and 50 percent by his wife).

There are no other matters to be announced as required under paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 of the AIM Rules.

- Ends -

For further information, please contact: Oxford Catalysts Roy Lipski, CEO Susan Robertson, CFO [phone] [phone] Lionsgate Communications Jonathan Charles / Jessica Johnson [phone] Cenkos Securities (Nomad and Joint Broker) Ken Fleming / Neil McDonald [phone] [phone] Numis Securities (Joint Broker) Alex Ham [phone]

Notes to Editors

Oxford Catalysts enables Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plants to convert unconventional, remote and problem gas into valuable liquid fuels. Systems based on the Group's technology (marketed under the brand name Velocys) are significantly smaller than those using conventional technology, enabling modular plants that can be deployed cost effectively in remote locations and on smaller fields than is possible with competing systems. Together with world-class partners, Oxford Catalysts provides complete smaller scale modular GTL solutions that address an untapped market of up to 25 million barrels of fuel a day.

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (LSE: OCG). The Group has some 90 employees with facilities near Oxford, UK and Columbus, Ohio, USA.

www.oxfordcatalysts.com

www.velocys.com

 

END

 

 

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