WPX Energy Inc. (NYSE: WPX) said Dec. 1 it named Clay M. Gaspar as president in addition to his current role as the Tulsa, Okla.-based company’s COO.

Clay Gaspar

Gaspar and the balance of WPX’s senior leadership will continue reporting directly to Rick Muncrief, WPX’s chairman and CEO. His appointment as president took effect Dec. 1.

Gaspar joined WPX in October 2014 as senior vice president of operations and resource development. He was promoted to COO in November 2015.

“Clay is highly regarded in our industry and has been instrumental at WPX implementing widespread change associated with our $7 billion portfolio transformation,” Muncrief said in a statement. “He adds value to what we do as a company by driving efficiencies, emphasizing technical excellence, recruiting new talent and rotating staff across basins and disciplines to expand their experience and viewpoints.”

Gaspar is a registered professional engineer and a member of The Society of Petroleum Engineers. He has a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in petroleum and geosciences engineering from The University of Texas.

Prior to WPX, Gaspar worked for Newfield Exploration Co. (NYSE: NFX), Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) and Mewbourne Oil Co. Inc. in a variety of technical and leadership roles. He has more than two decades of experience in the oil and natural gas sector, according to the company press release.