Colombian majority state-owned energy company Ecopetrol on Friday named Alberto Consuegra as its interim CEO, taking over from Felipe Bayon who stands down at the end of the month following more than five years in the top position.
Ecopetrol announced in January that Bayon would leave, with his departure representing a shake-up for Colombia's biggest company and largest producer of oil. Consuegra, an Ecopetrol veteran who currently serves as the company's chief operating officer, will take over from Bayon on April 1 and will remain in the post until a successor is named, Ecopetrol said in a statement.
"The board of directors, with support from the remuneration, appointments and culture committee, and advice from an international headhunting firm, continues to advance in the process of selecting a new president," the statement said.
Earlier this week, Saul Kattan, chairman of Ecopetrol's board of directors, told Reuters he hoped the company would be close to naming a successor by the time Bayon stands down.
(Reuters - Reporting by Oliver Griffin / Editing by Marguerita Choy)