Noble Corporation Names Lee M. Ahlstrom as Senior Vice President, Strategic Development

ZUG, Switzerland, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Corporation (NYSE: NE) today announced that Lee M. Ahlstrom has been named to the position of Senior Vice President, Strategic Development. Ahlstrom will be responsible for evaluating and developing strategic alternatives and initiatives to guide the Company's path toward increasing shareholder value into the future and he will report to David W. Williams, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Ahlstrom joined the Company in May 2006 and has served as Vice President of Investor Relations and Planning since that time.

"Lee's appointment recognizes not only his outstanding professional qualifications and extensive knowledge of the global offshore drilling industry, but also the importance we place on a strategic focus on growth and increasing shareholder value," said David W. Williams, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Lee's broad understanding of the competitive landscape, world markets and finance coupled with his engineering background not only make him uniquely qualified, but will also provide an added dimension to our management team as we continue to develop our plans for the future."

Ahlstrom holds a master of mechanical engineering degree and a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree from the University of Delaware. He has 20 years of energy industry experience and previously served as Director, Investor Relations at Burlington Resources and held various management positions at UNOCAL Corporation, including Manager, Planning & Strategy, Deepwater, USA, Manager, Investor Relations and Executive Assistant to the President and Chief Operating Officer. Prior to UNOCAL, Ahlstrom held the position of Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company and held various engineering positions with Exxon Company, U.S.A.

Additionally, Simon Johnson, who held the position of General Manager, Marketing and Contracts, has been named Vice President, Marketing and Development. In this position, Johnson will be directly responsible for the Company's marketing and contracting efforts in West Africa, the Mediterranean, Middle East and South East Asia/Australia.  Johnson graduated from Curtin University, Perth, Australia and has worked in the drilling industry for the past 15 years with several companies and in various operations and marketing roles in Australia, Aberdeen and most recently in Singapore where he was responsible for Seadrill's marketing function in the Middle East and SEA.

"We are delighted to have Simon as part of our management team and believe his energy, knowledge and experience make him an ideal addition to our worldwide marketing effort," said Williams.

About Noble Corporation

Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of 76 offshore drilling units (including seven ultra-deepwater rigs and four jackup drilling rigs currently under construction), located worldwide, including in the Middle East, India, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, the Mediterranean, the North Sea, Brazil, West Africa and Asian Pacific. Noble also owns and operates a dynamically positioned floating production, storage, offloading vessel.  Noble's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NE". Additional information on Noble Corporation is available via the worldwide web at http://www.noblecorp.com.

SOURCE Noble Corporation

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED