Former SLB executive and subsea specialist Henning Berg has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of French seismic company Viridien, succeeding Sophie Zurquiyah. This leadership change follows the board's earlier decision to temporarily limit Zurquiyah's combined role as chairperson and CEO.

Transition Plan

To ensure a structured and gradual transition, Berg will join Viridien as chief operating officer on March 3, 2026. He will assume the CEO position three months later, at which point Zurquiyah will transition to serving exclusively as non-executive chairperson of the company.

Market Reaction and Strategic Continuity

Following the announcement, Viridien's stock price declined by more than 6.22% to €107.10 ($124.12) in early afternoon trading on the Paris stock exchange. The company emphasized that Zurquiyah will remain as chairperson to maintain strategic continuity and guide Viridien's long-term vision.

Leadership Acknowledgments

Colette Lewiner, chair of Viridien's appointment, remuneration and governance committee, expressed the board's sincere appreciation for Zurquiyah's leadership, noting that under her guidance Viridien achieved a profound and resilient transformation and is now well positioned for the future. Zurquiyah stated she is delighted to hand over the CEO role to Berg, whose knowledge and experience she believes will support Viridien's continued success.

Berg's Professional Background

Berg brings extensive industry experience, having spent 27 years at SLB before departing in January of this year to establish a consultancy heavily involved in the merger of Subsea7 and Saipem. The majority of his tenure at SLB from 2011 to 2025 was dedicated to the subsea sector, with his final role being director of integration at the OneSubsea joint venture between SLB, Aker Solutions and Subsea7. From 2016 to 2020, Berg served as chief executive of Subsea Integration Alliance, a collaboration between SLB and Subsea7. Prior to specializing in subsea operations, he worked in SLB's wireline and Western Geco seismic businesses.

Future Outlook

Berg expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, stating that he looks forward to working closely with Viridien's teams to drive sustainable growth for the group.