International energy technology services company Proserv has reinforced its expanding global reach by appointing a country manager in one of West Africa's emerging provinces.
Olu Phillips takes up the post in Nigeria where Proserv has experienced rapid growth in demand for its integrated services and specialist technology.
Olu, who has experience in the African and international marketplace, will be responsible for overseeing the company's operations in the region.
Olu was previously chief financial officer (CFO) for oil and gas services company, MRS, with responsibility for a wide geographic remit spanning from Nigeria, Senegal and Guinea to the Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Togo. Having initially joined MRS in 2009 as finance director for Nigeria, Olu was made CFO in 2010 and held this position for three years. Prior to this, he worked for Vetco Gray as financial controller for Nigeria.
Olu, who was born in the U.K. to Nigerian parents, studied for ACCA (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants) in London before studying for an MBA at Edinburgh Business School. He worked in the U.K. for more than 10 years across a number of different industries including an international newspaper company and a global cement producer before moving to Nigeria in 2003. Olu, who is now a fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered of Accountants, lives with his family in Lagos.
"The market in Nigeria is very dynamic and the oil and gas opportunities are immense,” Olu said. “An ambitious company like Proserv is well placed to capitalize upon these opportunities, and I am very excited about the prospects of building upon the company's presence in the region where it already has an operational base in Port Harcourt with plans to open a second office in Lagos."
The appointment of a country manager for Nigeria follows recent success in West Africa for Proserv. During May, the company announced it had won a multi-million dollar contract in Angola to design and manufacture a subsea sampling system for BP’s PSVM field development. Operating at a depth of 2,000 meters, the system is believed to be the deepest offshore project in Africa.