Board of Directors & Management

Rita Fern Whittington
Chief Executive Officer, President and Executive Director 

Mrs Whittington is a petroleum landman with more than 32 years’ experience in acquisitions, operations and management of oil and gas properties. She joined Primary Natural Resources I and II as a senior member of the asset management team, where she was jointly responsible for company growth. Both companies were sold in an aggregate eight-year period generating a 3:1 return on equity.

Derec Norman
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director

Mr Norman has spent the last eight years working in the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  He began his career with Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE: CHK), a leading operator in Oklahoma, where in his role as Acquisition & Divestiture Supervisor, he specialised in oil and gas accounting, acquisitions, divestitures, and mergers managing deals totalling over US $10 billion.  He graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with an honours degree in finance.

Leonard Wallace
Interim Chairman and Director

Mr Wallace is a highly experienced oil and gas engineer with over 50 years’ experience, specialising in drilling engineering, well construction and rig operation within the oil and gas, exploration and production industry.  He was a consultant to Tartan Petroleum Ltd, during which time he acted as a contractor for Chevron USA, Dovre Group and Alpha Deepwater Services.

Lanny  Woods
Non-Executive Director
Mr Woods has more than 35 years of experience as an exploration and production geologist. The majority of Mr Woods’ career has been spent exploring and developing onshore US fields with particular experience in Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. Mr Woods is currently Executive Vice President and part owner (2009 -Present) of Jireh Resources where he is responsible for technical evaluation (geological and economic) of acquisitions, development drilling, and behind pipe opportunities in the Mid-Continent area. Prior to this Mr Woods was a member of the management team at Primary Natural Resources I and II, two oil and gas property acquisition and development companies, where he played a key role in the 3:1 return on equity achieved upon divestment.