Henning Berg will take over as group chief executive officer of Viridien in June 2026.
Henning Berg will take over as group chief executive officer of Viridien in June 2026.
Berg worked for SLB for 27 years, where he was recently in charge of the Subsea Integration Alliance and the One Subsea joint venture and has held several senior global leadership roles. ‘His career combines deep operational expertise with strong exposure to technology, business development, and international management,’ said Viridien.
In line with the board’s earlier commitment to limit the combination of the chair and chief executive officer (CEO) functions to a temporary period, Sophie Zurquiyah will step down as CEO but remain as non-executive chair to ‘maintain strategic continuity and to guide Viridien’s long-term vision’. ‘Since 2018, her leadership has repositioned Viridien as an asset-light, technology-driven company with a stronger financial foundation and a more diverse portfolio,’ said Viridien in a statement.
Berg has been appointed after a thorough selection process, coordinated by Colette Lewiner, chair of appointment, remuneration and governance committee, and Philippe Salle, lead director. Berg will join Viridien on 3 March 2026, as chief operating officer, ensuring ‘a structured and gradual transition to the CEO role’. His appointment as director will also be submitted to the shareholders for approval at the 2026 general meeting. Philipe Salle will continue to serve as lead director.
Colette Lewiner, chair of the appointment, remuneration and governance committee, said: ‘On behalf of the board of directors, we extend our sincere appreciation to Sophie for her tremendous leadership, under which Viridien has achieved a profound and resilient transformation and is now well positioned for the future. We are confident that Henning’s experience and operational strengths will allow him to leverage the group’s solid foundations and effectively support Viridien’s growth.’
Zuruiyah said: ‘I am proud of the group’s accomplishments over the past eight years. I am delighted to hand over the group CEO role to Henning, whose knowledge and experience will support Viridien’s continued success.’
Berg said: ‘I thank the board of directors and Sophie for their trust, and I look forward to working closely with the teams to drive sustainable growth for the group.’
CV Henning Berg:
Mr. Henning BERG began his career in SLB in 1998 as a Field Engineer, later progressing to Operations Manager for Wireline in the North Sea. In 2004, he was appointed Wireline Business Development Manager, a role he held until 2006, when he became Vice President, Wireline Russia. In 2010, he became VP of WesternGeco for Europe, Africa and Russia. From 2011 to 2013, he led SLB’s subsea strategy as Vice President of Subsea in Norway, before moving to the United States in 2013 to serve as President of Subsea Services. Between 2016 and 2020, Mr. Henning BERG was CEO of the Subsea Integration Alliance, where he played a key role in the Framo Engineering acquisition and the creation of the OneSubsea JV. In 2020, he became Business Line Director of SLB’s newly established Midstream business. In 2022, as Integration Manager for OneSubsea JV, he oversaw its integration with Aker Solutions and Subsea 7. He left SLB in 2025 to establish Henning Consulting and Investments LLC, while advising Subsea 7 on its merger and integration with Saipem.
