GeoPark Co-Founder and Former Chairman Gerald O’Shaughnessy Issues Investor Presentation and Announces Highly Qualified Potential Director Candidates for the Board
Gerald O’Shaughnessy, co-founder and major shareholder of GeoPark (NYSE: GPRK), has publicly called for shareholders to vote against four incumbent directors in an investor presentation. He proposes three experienced candidates for the board, including Rick Grafton, Louis R. Hughes, and Greg Pratt, who possess extensive industry and governance expertise. O’Shaughnessy argues that the current board lacks transparency and is dominated by the CEO, leading to significant corporate governance issues. He emphasizes that a vote against these directors is necessary for positive change within the company.
- Presentation highlights the need for board change and improved governance at GeoPark.
- Proposed candidates possess extensive industry experience and governance expertise.
- Current board has been described as lacking transparency and dominated by the CEO.
- Incumbent directors responsible for ongoing corporate governance issues.
Gerald O’Shaughnessy, the co-founder, former Chairman and second largest shareholder of GeoPark Limited (“GeoPark” or the “Company”) (NYSE: GPRK) today made public an investor presentation detailing the case for voting AGAINST GeoPark incumbent directors Robert Bedingfield, Constantin Papadimitriou, Pedro Aylwin and James Park at the upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The presentation can be viewed at: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/52454062/en.
Mr. O’Shaughnessy also announced three additional highly qualified candidates for consideration for the GeoPark Board – each of whom would bring significant relevant experience and valuable independent perspectives to the Company. These potential nominees include:
-
Rick Grafton – Mr. Grafton is an experienced oil and gas industry executive with prior relevant board experience.
- Co-founder, current CEO and CIO of Grafton Asset Management
- Former board member of oil and gas companies Gallic Energy Ltd. and Mena Hydrocarbons
- Co-founder and former managing director of FirstEnergy Capital, a leading independent energy-focused investment bank in Canada
-
Louis R. Hughes – Mr. Hughes has served as a board member of 12 multibillion-dollar companies in eight different countries and is a financial/accounting and corporate governance expert.
- Chairman of the board of directors of InZero Systems
- Former president and COO of Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) and former EVP of General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM)
- Additional board experience includes: Nokia Corp. (NYSE: NOK), Deutsche Bank (NYSE: DB), and ABB Ltd. (NYSE: ABB) where he served as chairman of the Finance, Audit & Compliance Committee for seven years
-
Greg Pratt – Mr. Pratt has deep technology, corporate governance and prior board experience.
- Non-executive chairman and former CEO and president of Carpenter Technology Corp. (NYSE: CRS)
- Lead director, chairman of the Corporate Governance Committee of Tredegar Corp. (NYSE: TG), and board member of Anterix, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATEX)
- Former director and chairman on local chapter board of National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and former member of the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)
These nominees have been identified by Mr. O’Shaughnessy and his team, are totally independent of Mr. O’Shaughnessy and, in the cases of Mr. Grafton and Mr. Pratt, were not personally known to Mr. O’Shaughnessy prior to this effort.
Mr. O’Shaughnessy stated:
“As our presentation highlights, it is time for shareholders to signal to the GeoPark Board that the status quo – characterized by a CEO-dominated strategy and lack of transparency – cannot continue. I urge all shareholders to vote against incumbent directors Bedingfield, Papadimitriou, Aylwin and Park to pave the way for necessary Board refreshment. Each of these individuals has been responsible for perpetuating the deep-seated corporate governance issues at GeoPark and failing to ensure the Company is on the right course.
The three individuals I would put forward as potential directors in addition to myself are all highly accomplished veterans with industry expertise, strategy, shareholder value creation and good corporate governance. Their interest in serving on the GeoPark Board is a testament to the significant opportunities for success they see at the Company. Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing industry, shareholders would benefit greatly from an improved Board that would consider all strategic alternatives and address the challenges facing GeoPark today and moving forward.”
***
A vote AGAINST four incumbent directors is a vote to send a message that change is needed on the Board at GeoPark that will benefit all of the Company’s shareholders. You can vote AGAINST these directors either by voting on GeoPark’s proxy card, or by voting on the BLUE proxy card included in these materials.
VOTE AGAINST FOUR GEOPARK DIRECTOR NOMINEES TO SIGNAL THAT YOU DEMAND CHANGE IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210701005487/en/
FAQ
What is Gerald O'Shaughnessy's position on GeoPark's current board of directors?
Who are the proposed candidates for GeoPark's board?
What are the main issues highlighted in the investor presentation regarding GeoPark?
What action does Gerald O'Shaughnessy recommend to shareholders of GeoPark?
What is the significance of voting against GeoPark's current directors?
