Dolphin Drilling AS has appointed Jon Oliver Bryce permanent CEO, according to a March 28 company news release.
Former CEO Bjørnar Iversen resigned Jan. 29 after six years with the company, at which point the company selected Bryce, who was chief strategy officer (CSO) at the time, as interim CEO.
Bryce has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, having previously held senior leadership positions at Awilco Drilling and Odfjell Drilling. He has been the company’s CSO since November 2023 and interim CEO since January 2025. He is also the current chair of The British Rig Owners Association and a supervisory board member of the UK Chamber of Shipping.
“I see opportunity for Dolphin Drilling going forward," Bryce said in the release. "In the drilling rig sector that we currently operate, supply is at an all time low following a prolonged period of downturn and scrapping. Rig demand, however, is now building due to a combination of macro and basin-specific reasons, creating an ever-tightening market segment. With a highly competent organization, our 60-year track-record of delivering operational excellence across the globe and now the backing of new major shareholders, the company is uniquely positioned to capitalize on this emerging market imbalance and to create value."
He also believes the market will see a consolidation going forward and believes that Dolphin Drilling will play a major part, the release stated.
“Initially we will focus on the day job, delivering an improved version of Dolphin Drilling, with a high focus on cost control, organizational optimization and maximizing financial efficiency," he said. "Moving forward, though, we will look to grow and sector-consolidate through opportunistic and accretive M&A, where synergies and economies of scale can further enhance our investment case."
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Moreover, the company announced another C-suite change. In late February, CFO Stephen Cox decided to resign from his position to pursue opportunities outside of the company. At the time, it was said he will remain in the CFO position until mid-year 2025 while the company began the recruitment process.
Today it was announced that VP Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Ingolf Gillesdal has been promoted to CFO, effective April 15. Cox will stay on until the summer to support the company and the CFO transition.
Gillesdal has more than 25 years experience in the rig industry starting off in corporate and investment banking before moving into operations in marketing, finance and strategy. He has been with Dolphin Drilling since 2018.
In addition, in late March, Ronny Bjørnådal was elected to the board as the new chairman and Bertel Steen was selected as a new board member.
