Richard Kennedy bows out, as Chevron NIgeria appoints new MD

Richard Kennedy has announced his retirement as Chairman/Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria Limited.

In a statement yesterday by Chevron’s General Manager on Policy and Government Affairs, Esimaje Birkinn, Kennedy elected to retire after almost 40 years of service to the company.

He is replaced by Jim Swartz as the Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit, effective April 1, 2024.

Until his appointment, Swartz was Vice President, Capital Projects based in Houston, USA. He brings a wealth of experience in the upstream business and a proven ability to build effective partnerships with stakeholders.

A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he received a Bachelor of Science in Geology, Swartz also obtained a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Oklahoma. He joined Chevron in 1990 as a Geologist in Louisiana and has since held positions of increasing responsibility in Angola and the United States.

As Chairman and Managing Director of Chevron Nigeria/Mid-Africa Business Unit, Kennedy’s thoughtful and collaborative leadership led to improved business outcomes.

He made significant contributions to the Nigerian oil and gas industry as Chairman of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), during which he led industry engagements on the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and other industry initiatives. As Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), Rick was committed to peace building and the socio-economic development of the region.