John Wood Group, a prominent energy services company, has announced that its Chief Financial Officer, David Kemp, is set to retire after a decade with the company. The process to appoint his successor is underway, and Kemp will continue in his role until the new CFO is in place. Kemp joined Wood in 2013 as the CFO of the former Wood Group PSN business, which is now part of Wood's operations business unit. He joined the board in 2015 and was appointed CFO of the group in 2015.

Kemp has played a crucial role in the company's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sale of built environment consulting, and the development of Wood's new growth strategy. Under his leadership, the company has transformed from a predominantly oil and gas services business to a more diversified company.

Wood's half-year results were also announced, showing a 26% drop in operating profit to $23 million, partly due to costs related to the aborted takeover attempt by Apollo. The results also highlighted a loss for the period of $27 million, primarily attributed to lower profits from discontinued built environment consulting operations, exceptional items, and tax charges. However, revenue and adjusted earnings before tax exceeded expectations, with revenue reaching $3 billion, up 16% from the previous period.

Despite the challenges, Wood's growth strategy seems to be making progress. The company's headcount increased by 5% during the period, and there was notable growth in sustainable solutions, which accounted for 20% of group revenue. Wood's outlook for the full year remains positive, with expectations of continued revenue growth and earnings within the medium-term target of mid-to-high single-digit growth.