Kistos is led by an experienced management team with a long history of successfully delivering company growth and delivering value for stakeholders.
Andrew Austin
Andrew founded Kistos in November 2020 and held the position of Non-Executive Chairman until the admission of Kistos to Alternative Investment Market (AIM), when he assumed the position of interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO). In November 2021, he assumed the position of Executive Chairman following the appointments of Peter Mann and Richard Slape.
Andrew has extensive experience in the oil and gas industry, having served as Executive Chairman of RockRose Energy from 2016 until 2020, where he delivered a 42-fold return to shareholders.
Founded Kistos in November 2020
Peter Mann
Peter was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in October 2023. Peter worked with Andrew at RockRose Energy as CEO and Managing Director from 2017 to 2021. Peter has spent many years in the oil and gas industry. Prior to RockRose, Peter spent 5 years working in the onshore oil and gas industry, and led the company’s business strategy through a challenging oil price environment.
Appointed October 2021
Richard Slape
Richard was appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Kistos in October 2021. He was also part of the core team at RockRose Energy, serving as CFO from 2019 until 2021. He has extensive experience in business development and across capital markets, and has worked in oil and gas exploration and production for over 30 years.
Appointed October 2021
James Thomson
James was appointed as Deputy CFO of Kistos in October 2024 and will assume the role of CFO on 01 January 2024 following a transition period with Richard Slape. He has extensive experience in the natural resources sector, having previously served as Finance Director at RockRose and in a senior finance role as Head of Design and Implementation at Anglo American.
Appointed October 2024
Richard Benmore
Richard joined Kistos as a Non-Executive Director in November 2020. He brings over 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry to the team. In the past, he has worked with other prominent companies including Conoco, Onyx Energy, Nimir Petroleum, EnCana, Nexen Petroleum and IGas.
His experience spans commercial operations, business development and exploration and production managerial positions. He has also managed unconventional E&P projects across Europe, adding to his considerable experience.
Appointed November 2020
Committees
Nomination Committee (Chair)
Stephen Pawson
Stephen is the Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Kistos. He has worked in the oil and gas exploration and production sector for 40 years, having spent 10 years with both Phillips Petroleum and ARCO British fulfilling various financial roles in the UK and overseas. Stephen was instrumental in forming the finance function of RockRose Energy between 2017 and 2019, incorporating several acquisitions. He brings critical insight to the team, offering a strategic, commercial, and innovative outlook and extensive practical experience managing and implementing change.
Appointed June 2024
Committees
Audit committee (Chair)
Disclosure committee (Chair)
Alan Booth
Alan joined Kistos as a Non-Executive Director in November 2020. With more than 30 years of experience in oil and gas exploration, Alan brings a wealth of experience to the Kistos team, including through his current position as Executive Chair of Storegga. He is also a former President of the UK Offshore Operations Association, and was a Director of the Oil and Gas Independents’ Association.
Alan was the founder and CEO of Encore Oil and served as a Non-Executive Director and later CEO of Ophir Energy between 2013 and 2018.
Appointed November 2020
Committees
Remunerations committee (Chair)
Nominations committee
Audit committee
