David Pridden, a long time stalwart of the British subsea industry and first CEO of the government-backed Subsea U.K. organization, died Nov. 4 after a six-month battle with cancer. He was 66.
Pridden spent the early part of his career with BP but moved into the contracting side of the industry in the early 1980s with Kongsberg Subsea Developments, eventually becoming managing director. In 1984 he and three others set up front-end specialist Mentor Engineering Consultants, which was later sold to McDermott.
Having moved from engineering to business development, Pridden got involved in a number of ventures including corrosion engineering, oil assaying and later renewables including being part of the team that set up Renews, the U.K.’s first electronic newsletter covering the renewables business. This was his second venture in publishing, having been an original partner in the company that owned Subsea Engineering News.
In 2004 at an earlier period of offshore business doldrums in the U.K., Pridden took on the role of heading a new organization, Subsea UK, which aimed to expand the profile of one of the key elements of the British offshore sector.
After five successful years at Subsea UK, he returned to entrepreneurship, growing the TNEI renewables company before selling it off to Petrofac. Most recently, he was chairman of the offshore Seanamic group.
He leaves behind his wife Kari.
—Steve Sasanow
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