Norway’s Aker Energy has named Svein Jakob Liknes as acting CEO following the resignation of Jan Arve Haugan, the company said in a Dec. 10 news release.

Liknes most recently served as head of operations for Aker Energy.

The change announced by the board of directors came as the company continues to “optimize and safeguard the Pecan project,” a development in the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Points Block offshore Ghana.

“Svein Jakob Liknes has extensive experience both from projects and operations and he has worked closely on the Pecan PDO [plan of development and operations] process, making him the right fit to lead Aker Energy,” Øyvind Eriksen, president and CEO at Aker ASA, said in the release. “I want to thank Jan Arve Haugan for his leadership and relentless work in building a complete exploration and field development organization in Aker Energy.”

Aker also unveiled changes to the board of directors. Both Aker Energy and TRG Energy, the owner of AGM Petroleum in Ghana and in which Kjell Inge Røkke is the main shareholder, will see change in board leadership. Aker said the move aims to “strengthen the two companies and better reflect that they will continue to operate as separate entities.”

The board of TRG Energy, which quantifies discoveries and drills appraisal wells, are Sverre Skogen, chairman; Kjell Inge Røkke, deputy chairman; David Adomakoh; Kristian Monsen Røkke; Olav Revhaug and Khash Mohajerani.

Aker Energy’s board members are Karl Johnny Hersvik, chairman; Samaila Zubairu, deputy chairman; Anne Marie Cannon; Tore Torvund; Kjell Inge Røkke and Øyvind Eriksen. Rosalind Kainyah resigned from the board, Aker said.