President & Chief Operating Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, United States Drilling Operations
Senior Vice President, Canadian Drilling Operations
Senior Vice President, International Operations
Senior Vice President, US Sales & Global Drilling Solutions
Vice President, Sales & Business Development
Vice President, MENA Operations
Vice President, Australia Operations
Vice President, Latin America Operations
Vice President, Well Servicing North America
President & Chief Operating Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, United States Operations
Senior Vice President, Canadian Operations
Senior Vice President, International Operations
Senior Vice President, US Sales & Global Drilling Solutions
Vice President, Sales & Business Development
Vice President, MENA Operations
Vice President, Australia Operations
Vice President, Latin America Operations
Vice President, Well Servicing North America
Mr. Edwards has served on the Board of Directors of Ensign since 1989 and had acted as Chairman of the Corporation’s executive management committee throughout this period.
Mr. Edwards is an investor and corporate director. Prior to December 2015, he was the President of Edco Financial Holdings Ltd, a private management and consulting company. Mr. Edwards is currently a Director and Chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Limited, publicly traded company and one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers in the world. He is also a Director and Chairman of Magellan Aerospace Corporation, also a publicly traded company. Mr. Edwards has a B.Comm. from the University of Saskatchewan (Great Distinction) and an LL.B. (Honours) from the University of Toronto.
Mr. Geddes has served on the Board of Directors since March 2007.
Mr. Geddes has been with Ensign since 1991 and is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation, a position he has held since 2007. He has acted as Vice President Canadian Drilling from 1999 to 2004 and President Canadian Operations from 2004 to 2006. He is a past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC), past Chairman of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta.
Mr. Kangas has been on the Board of Directors of the Corporation since 1990.
Mr. Kangas is a retired businessman and oilfield marketing consultant with over 40 years of experience in oilfield servicing, transportation, and related businesses. He was the President of Mar-Len Enterprises Trucking & Rental Company from 1992 until 2006. He has also served on several community and non-profit boards.
Mr. Whitham has served on the Ensign Board of Directors since March 2007.
Member of the Audit Committee | Chair of the Compensation Committee
Since 2004, Mr. Whitham has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Enduring Resources, LLC, a private, Denver-based company with exploration and production operations in the United States. Prior to that, he served for 12 years as President, Chief Operating Officer, and Director of Westport Resources Corp., a public upstream energy company listed on the NYSE, he served on the board of QEP a public upstream oil and gas company listed on the NYSE through its merger with Diamondback Energy in 2021. He holds a B.Sc. in Engineering and an M.Sc. in Economics from the Colorado School of Mines and is a Registered Professional Engineer. He has served on the Board of Directors of Intrepid Potash Inc. since 2008 (Chairman since 2024), Jonah Energy since 2016, and Frontier Bank Group since 2011.
Mr. Casswell has over 45 years of experience as a senior executive in the onshore and offshore drilling industries. He most recently served as President & Chief Executive Officer of Northern Offshore Ltd., a Bermuda-based offshore drilling company. Prior to that, he served as Vice President of Eastern Hemisphere Operations for Pride International, a Houston, Texas-based drilling company acquired by Ensco plc in 2011. Additionally, Mr. Casswell is currently a director of Northern Ocean Drilling, Ltd. He has lived and worked extensively throughout the Middle East and has significant experience in the United States land drilling market. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of California, Long Beach.
Ms. Haslam is a retired CA, CPA and also holds the ICD.D designation. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary. For over 30 years she operated a private accounting and contract CFO consulting practice. From 2019 until January 2022, she served on the Board of Directors and as Chair of the Audit Committee of a private biotechnology company specializing in mRNA vaccine therapies. She is the past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation where she served as a director for over 15 years.
Mr. Ruud previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer and Board Director of Akita Drilling Ltd. for over 10 years until his retirement in 2021. He also served as a Board Director and, for two tenures, as Chairman of the Canadian Association of Energy Contractors (CAOEC), with a combined 20 years of service. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta.
Ms. Carson joined the Board of Directors on December 7, 2023.
Member of the Audit Committee | Member of the Compensation Committee
Ms. Carson practiced as a Senior Vice-President with MNP Ltd. for 34 years. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant, receiving her designation as a CGA in 1992. As a Senior Vice-President, CIRP, and LIT, Ms. Carson directed operations, strategic planning, financial management, human resource and compensation matters. She has 40 years of business experience, including years with various oilfield service companies. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board for Money Mentors, Chair of Board Recruitment and Education, and is an active member of the Governance, Audit, and Risk Committees.
President & Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Geddes has been with Ensign since 1991 and is currently the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Corporation, a position he has held since 2007. He has acted as Vice President Canadian Drilling from 1999 to 2004 and President Canadian Operations from 2004 to 2006. He is a past Chairman of the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors (CAODC), past Chairmen of the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). He holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta.
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Russell was appointed Chief Financial Officer effective May 6, 2026. During his 20 years of service with Ensign, he has held progressively more senior leadership roles, most recently serving as Vice President of Finance, a position he has had since December 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Regina and is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Alberta. Prior to joining Ensign, Mr. Russell was with a large multinational agri-business organization where he held various finance-related roles.
Senior Vice President, United States Operations
Mr. Shepherd began his career with Ensign in 2019 following the acquisition of Trinidad Drilling and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President, US Operations. After obtaining a BEng in Engineering Technology from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, Mr. Shepherd joined Santa Fe Drilling as a Trainee Drilling Engineer in the North Sea. Throughout his career, he has worked in Europe, South America, Central America, the Middle East, and North America, holding various roles in Operations and Project Management. His previous role was Vice President, US Drilling.
Senior Vice President, Canadian Operations
Mr. Culshaw began his career with Ensign in 2018 and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Canadian Operations. Before joining Ensign, Mr. Culshaw worked for various large-cap oil and gas producers, where he held various operational and managerial roles for 18 years. He obtained his B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from Montana Tech and is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
Senior Vice President, International Operations
Mr. Hoffarth joined Ensign as Senior Vice President, International Operations following the acquisition of Citadel Drilling in 2026. He has brought more than 33 years of experience in drilling and oilfield services, having advanced from the rig floor through operational, commercial, and executive leadership roles. Prior to co-founding Citadel, Mr. Hoffarth held a variety of senior leadership positions, building extensive experience across Canada, the U.S., and international markets. As co-founder, CEO, and Board Member of Citadel, he helped lead the company’s strategic growth and development. He remains actively involved in industry leadership and professional organizations, including the IADC, where he serves on numerous committees including the IADC North American Advisory Committee, as well as other industry associations that support the advancement of the drilling and energy sectors.
Senior Vice President, US Sales & Global Drilling Solutions
Mr. Horton joined Ensign in 2019 following the acquisition of Trinidad Drilling and currently serves as Senior Vice President US Sales & Global Drilling Solutions. Prior to joining Ensign, he held progressively senior leadership roles across Operations and Business Development, bringing more than 30 years of industry experience.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the University of Mississippi and an MBA from Rice University. In addition to his formal education, Mr. Horton has authored industry publications, made technical contributions to the sector, served on multiple IADC boards, and held several advisory and committee leadership roles at the University of Mississippi. In 2026, Mr. Horton was awarded the University of Mississippi Engineer of Distinction Award.
Vice President, Sales & Business Development
Mr. Niedermaier joined Ensign in 2023 and currently serves as Vice President, Sales and Business Development for Ensign’s Canadian Division. With more than 30 years of experience in the drilling industry, he began his career as a roughneck and advanced through a variety of operational and senior leadership roles. Throughout his career, he has worked across Canada, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the United States. In addition to his operational and commercial leadership experience, Mr. Niedermaier has held numerous regional board-level appointments for local subsidiaries operating across multiple international markets.
Vice President, MENA Operations
Mr. Strauss joined Ensign in November 2015 and has served as Vice President, MENA Operations, based in Dubai, since joining the company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the VWA in Muenster and an MBA from Purdue University. Prior to joining Ensign, Mr. Strauss accumulated more than 30 years of experience in the international oil and gas industry, serving in senior operational, commercial, and financial leadership roles. Throughout his career, he has lived and worked in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Mr. Strauss has also been actively involved with the IADC for many years, serving on various conferences and committee boards.
Vice President, Australia Operations
Mr. Koutsoukos currently serves as Vice President, Australia Operations. He has been with Ensign for more than 20 years, having joined the company as a Contracts Engineer and progressing through increasingly senior leadership roles. Throughout his career, he has gained extensive international experience, including project assignments in New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and Libya. He earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South Australia and is an active board member of the Wellsite Permit to Work Association.
Vice President, Latin America Operations
Mr. Thompson has been with Ensign since 2003 and currently serves as Vice President, Latin America Operations. He has extensive experience in both onshore and offshore drilling operations, having progressed through the industry from Floorhand to Operations Manager and Country Manager roles. Throughout his career, he has worked with several leading drilling organizations across a diverse range of international markets.
His global experience spans operations in the North Sea (Scotland), China, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Iran, Nigeria, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia, with expertise across land, offshore, and barge rig operations. Mr. Thompson holds an associate degree in Hotel Management and brings a broad perspective on international drilling operations, leadership, and business development.
Vice President, Well Servicing North America
Mr. Kearley joined Ensign in 2020 and has served as Vice President, Well Servicing North America since 2025. Previously, he held the role of Global Vice President, Health, Safety and Field Training for five years. Prior to joining Ensign, Patrick held a variety of leadership roles across Operations and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE), bringing over 25 years of industry experience. He holds a degree in Occupational Health and Safety from the University of New Brunswick and is a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP).