Iain Cooper, founder and head of US-based oil services provider Schlumberger’s corporate venturing unit, has left to become CEO of UK-based, corporate-backed gas sensor technology provider SeekOps.
Cooper, a Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist 2019 award winner, had spent 13 years heading the unit. He has been replaced by Arindam Bhattacharya as director of Schlumberger Corporate Ventures and Schlumberger New Energy, which manage an active portfolio of more than 20 companies.
Bhattacharya was promoted from Schlumberger’s marketing and technology, reservoir and infrastructure group, where he had been group vice-president.
Cooper has been managing technology investments for Schlumberger’s corporate venturing deals since 2007, having joined the company in 1992 as a research scientist.
Cooper said of his new role: “SeekOps actionable data products have been demonstrated in rigorous oil and gas environments, and while we will continue global growth to support upstream operations, SeekOps will also translate its capabilities to meet the needs of the midstream and downstream sectors.
“Furthermore, there are similar environmental and sustainability pressures across other industries that must be validated using accurate and reliable technologies, as typified by SeekOps.”
SeekOps is backed by investment alliance Oil and Gas Climate Initiative Climate Investments (OGCI-CI) and energy group Equinor’s Equinor Technology Ventures unit. SeekOps founder and CEO Andrew Aubrey, has moved to senior vice-president of strategic partnerships with Cooper’s arrival this month.
