Executive Committee
Our Executive Committee, or ExCom, is responsible for day-to-day operational management, communication and implementation of strategic decisions, and other administrative matters.
Tareq Kawash, Group Chief Executive
Tareq has more than 30 years industry experience. He joined Petrofac from McDermott, where he worked for 21-years, most recently as Senior Vice President of its Global Onshore and Middle East Offshore business lines.
A strategic, high-performing leader with a wealth of operational and commercial experience, Tareq has completed both domestic and international assignments for mega onshore and offshore oil and gas projects.
Tareq is fluent in Arabic and has extensive experience of the Middle East, having lived and worked there for 18 years. Prior to McDermott's combination with CB&I in 2018, he was CB&I's Group Vice President, Engineering and Construction, International. Before joining CB&I in 2000, he worked with KBR for two years and Consolidated Contractors Company for seven years.
Tareq has a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tufts University and a Master's Degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia.
Afonso Reis e Sousa, Chief Financial Officer
Experience
Afonso joined Petrofac in 2012 as Group Head of Structured Finance and accumulated a portfolio of increasing responsibility including Group Treasurer, Head of Tax and Group Head of Enterprise Risk. He has a background in investment banking, having begun his career with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, and has extensive experience in corporate and project finance.
Sophie Reid, Group Director of Communications
Responsibility
Sophie has overall responsibility for advising on internal and external communications, including marketing and brand.
Experience
She has worked with multinational energy organisations since 2004, driving global employee communications, change management and public relations strategies. Prior to being appointed to the Executive Committee in July 2022, she was Petrofac’s Head of Global Marketing.
Sandra Redding, Group General Counsel
Responsibility
Sandra is responsible for all Petrofac’s Legal, Compliance, and Company Secretariat functions, providing all colleagues with relevant, timely and commercially valuable legal advice. She and her teams ensure that the Group’s business is conducted in accordance with applicable law and regulation, and also within a robust ethics and compliance framework.
Experience
Sandra has more than 20 years international experience in the energy sector, including as General Counsel of the multi-national deepwater drilling group Seadrill, and as General Counsel of Dubai state-owned operator Dragon Oil. Most recently Sandra was the GC of Highview Power, an innovative liquid-air energy storage company. She has also held senior legal roles within the upstream businesses of major German energy group RWE and the French utility Engie. She holds degrees from the University of Queensland and is admitted to legal practice in England & Wales and in Queensland, Australia.
Elie Lahoud, Chief Operating Officer, Engineering & Construction
As Chief Operating Officer, Elie has overall accountability for strategy and delivery against our Engineering and Construction (E&C) business plan.
Experience
Elie has more than 25 years’ industry experience. He joined Petrofac in 1997, subsequently holding several key operational roles, leading the delivery of large scale upstream and downstream oil and gas EPC projects, then overseeing operations in the Middle East and CIS countries, as well as European offshore power projects. He was Group MD of E&C until December 2020. He is also a member of the American University of Beirut Advisory Board for its faculty of engineering.
John Pearson, Chief Operating Officer, Asset Solutions and Energy Transition Projects
Responsibility
As Chief Operating Officer, Asset Solutions and Energy Transition Projects, John has overall accountability for growing and delivering our new energies business plan.
Experience
He joined Petrofac in 2017, prior to which he spent 28 years with AMEC Foster Wheeler and five years with Chevron, in the UK and the US. His previous roles have included President of global oil, gas and chemicals businesses, and multi-market roles running the Americas, Northern Europe, and CIS regions. He has also been a Co-Chair of Oil & Gas UK.
External appointments
Non-executive director of The UK Offshore Energies Association Limited.
Des Thurlby, Group Director of Human Resources
Responsibility
Des has overall responsibility for advising on all people aspects of the business. This includes developing a business-focused people strategy, including succession planning, talent management, leadership development, compensation, key hires, performance culture, diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement.
Experience
He joined Petrofac in 2017. Des started his career as a graduate trainee with Ford Motor Company and spent 25 years in the automotive sector, including six years as HR Director for Jaguar Land Rover. He was also interim President of IMI China and Senior Vice President HR for Seadrill, an offshore drilling contractor. He has a Bachelors degree in Politics and Economics from Newcastle University and an Executive MBA from the London Business School. He is also a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.
Jim Andrews, Group Head of HSE
Responsibility
As Group Director for HSE, Jim has overall accountability for quality, health, safety, security and environment.
Experience
Jim has almost 30 years’ of experience with Schlumberger, working in numerous countries and across several senior managerial positions in operations and functions. Most recently he was the President of Production Management and prior to that spent three years as Schlumberger’s Vice President of Health, Safety, Security and Environment.
Marc Bonandrini, Chief Commercial Officer
Responsibility
As Chief Commercial Officer, Marc is responsible for ensuring the organisation secures high quality backlog in key, growth markets. He leads the Business Development and Proposals teams across Engineering & Construction, Asset Solutions, and Energy Transition Projects.
Experience
Marc started his career in the energy industry in 1996 and has held commercial leadership and executive roles with ABB, GE, Subsea 7, CB&I, and McDermott. During this period, he has lived in the United States, Dubai, and the United Kingdom, spending significant time working with clients across the globe. He joined Petrofac in August 2023, having spent the last decade as Commercial VP at McDermott.

Governance
Board of directors
Our Board sets the ‘tone from the top’ and ensures there is a strong and effective system of corporate governance across the Group.