Former energy minister Marcelo Tokman will take over as head of Chilean state oil firm Empresa Nacional del Petroleo (ENAP) from May, the country's energy ministry said on Monday.
Tokman, who has a doctorate in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, headed the energy ministry for a short time in 2010 under President Michelle Bachelet's previous administration, following a spell running Chile's energy board, where he introduced energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives.
He has also worked as head of Latin American government relations at Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas.
ENAP is Chile's main oil refiner and controls the country's two key refineries, Aconcagua and Bio Bio. Although Chile imports most of its fuel, ENAP has stepped up its gas exploration activities and is planning to invest around $400 million in 2014. (Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien Editing by W Simon)