Meet The Team
J. Michael Yeager, Chief Executive Petroleum
J. Michael Yeager serves as the Group Executive for BHP Billiton and the Chief Executive for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Mike joined the company in April 2006. Prior to joining BHP Billiton Petroleum, Mike held a number of senior positions at ExxonMobil, which included heading ExxonMobil’s major joint venture capital projects and serving as Vice President-Africa and Vice President-Europe where he was responsible for ExxonMobil’s production operations in those regions.
Steve O’Rourke, President, Exploration
Steve O’Rourke is President, Exploration at BHP Billiton Petroleum. Steve was appointed President, Exploration in May 2007. Steve joined the Company in March 2000, originally working on subsurface projects in the Gulf of Mexico and then later globally across all Petroleum operations. Prior to joining BHP Billiton Petroleum, Steve worked for Shell Exploration & Production.
Nigel Smith, President, Development
Nigel Smith is President for Development at BHP Billiton Petroleum. Nigel was appointed to this role in October 2006. Nigel joined the Company in 2000 and held a number of executive roles managing operations in the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia and Asia. Prior to joining BHP Billiton, Nigel held positions of increasing responsibility at with Shell International, Atlantic Richfield Corporation and BP.
Timothy J. Cutt, President, Production
Timothy J. Cutt is President, Production for the Production Division for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Before joining BHP Billiton in August 2007, Tim held roles of significant oil and gas responsibility with Mobil and ExxonMobil. Most recently, he held the position of President, ExxonMobil de Venezuela, where he was responsible for production and heavy crude upgrading operations in Venezuela.
Renee Klimczak, President, Gas Marketing
Renee Klimczak is President, Gas Marketing for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Renee joined the Company in 2005 to lead the development of BHP Billiton’s gas business in North, South and Central America. Prior to joining BHP Billiton, she was General Manager of gas and electricity retailing in Melbourne, Victoria; first with Ikon Energy and then with TXU Australia.
James "Jamie" Dykes, General Counsel, Petroleum
James “Jamie” Dykes is General Counsel for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Jamie joined the Company in August 2005, and was responsible for legal matters in Europe, Pakistan, Africa and the Middle East. Prior to joining BHP Billiton Petroleum, he held various roles in the upstream legal department at ExxonMobil and the supply and trading part of the business. He has also worked as a litigator for a major City of London law firm.
Alex Green, Marketing Director, Crude Liquids
Alex Green is the Marketing Director at BHP Billiton Petroleum. Alex joined the company in April 2003. Alex has responsibility for marketing the BHP Billiton Petroleum’s liquids and the procurement of petroleum products and is located in The Hague.
Zhanna Golodryga, Vice President, Information Technology
Zhanna Golodryga is Vice President for IT at BHP Billiton Petroleum. Zhanna joined the company in December 2001 as Vice President for IT. Prior to joining BHP Billiton Petroleum, Zhanna worked for TeleCheck, a subsidiary of FirstData Corporation, as Vice President IT. She has also worked for Baker Hughes and Marathon Oil.
Gregor McNab, Vice President, External Affairs
Gregor McNab is Vice President, External Affairs for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Gregor was appointed to his role in February 2009 and is responsible for Petroleum’s worldwide external and government affairs, employee communications and community programs. He started his career with BHP Billiton Petroleum in 1989 and most recently held the position of Manager Negotiations for Australia and Asia, where he was responsible for development, negotiation and management of all upstream commercial agreements in that region.
David J. Nelson, Vice President, Human Resources
David J. Nelson is Vice President, Human Resources (HR) for BHP Billiton Petroleum. David was previously Manager of Organization Development for BHP Billiton Petroleum when he joined the Company in 2006. Prior to joining the Company, he spent 27 years with Conoco Phillips where he held numerous Human Resource leadership positions in the U.S., Norway, United Kingdom and Egypt.
David Powell, Chief Financial Officer
David Powell is Chief Financial Officer for BHP Billiton Petroleum. David joined the Company in January 2009 and is responsible for all finance, accounting and commercial assurance activities for Petroleum. Prior to joining the Company, he held the position of Vice President of Finance for Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation. While there he held other roles of significant financial responsibility in the United States and internationally in countries such as Latin America, Qatar, Malaysia, Russia and Argentina.
Matthew Ridolfi, Vice President, Health, Safety & Environment
Matthew Ridolfi is Vice President, Health Safety & Environment (HSE) for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Matthew was appointed to his role in December 2008 and is responsible for providing Petroleum HSE functional support, expertise and oversight for the Company’s operations globally. Matthew started his career with BHP Billiton Petroleum in 1991 and has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility working in operational, engineering and managerial roles in a variety of operating environments.
Jeff H. Tomlinson, Vice President, Planning
Jeff H. Tomlinson is Vice President for Planning for BHP Billiton Petroleum. Jeff joined the company in January 2007 and he is responsible for planning and performance analysis for Petroleum. Prior to joining the Company, Jeff was a Principal of Decision Strategies, Inc. He has worked a variety of international upstream assignments in the United States, West Africa, South America, and Asia. Prior to Decision Strategies, Jeff worked for Murphy Oil Corporation and ExxonMobil.
