RE: Technical Review22 Aug 2020 17:26
Slift you asked for opinions:
- What about the resources for the other WoS portfolio? Will this only be provided to us after CPR?
Difficult to see how they can give an accurate revision of the non Lancaster portfolio as they are currently collecting data from the EPS only. The CPR is not due until H1 2021 and as far as I am aware will be confined to the EPS so I cannot see that this would have any bearing on Halifax and Lincoln/Warwick. Having said that you cannot rule out the possibility that they decide to extrapolate if there is any significant revision of the Lancaster resources.
- Will they release the technical review before the interim results? What do they have to gain in completing this tech review in such a short time and releasing during this transition period of Interim/Designate CEO's?
When announcement of the technical review was made they may or may not have had a candidate in mind but they could not have been sure of an appointment. I would have thought that the new CEO would want to spend as much time as possible familiarising himself with the data so I don't see it being published before the results He is the one that will be dealing with post review consequences. It's only 3 weeks to the results so I can't see any need or reason to rush into publishing the TR before the results.
- It seems like this technical review is completed by Bev and the BoD and then passed onto the new CEO. What (who, and why) is influencing them to complete this technical review before handing over?
I don't see any suspicious in this. Maris is new to the company so it is perfectly reasonable for the interims to be signed off by the existing (interim) CEO. He could propose to the Bod that publication of the TR be delayed until he takes his position and it will then have his name on it but I rather doubt it.
- It's not as easy as just finding someone on the market to fill the CEO role. I imagine the interview process, notice periods etc. will have taken 3 months+ to recruit Mr Maris. It has been less than 3 months since Dr T's resignation. Is it possible that the board already had this person as a candidate before they forced Dr T to resign?
Did RT choose to go or was he pushed? I think it is fairly certain he was pushed. The Institution's were distraught with the sp decline last year. AS was the first scapegoat. They also wanted RT's head. How much pressure came from within the company I don't know but Kerogen most probably and suspect it was failure to get the ESP's commissioned that was the final straw. If RT had chosen to go entirely of his own volition I would of expected an announcement of intent with RT staying on until a replacement had been recruited. It is of course possible that those doing the pushing were also looking for a replacement, or they may have just got lucky.