Liberty Energy Inc. (NYSE: LBRT; “Liberty” or the “Company”) announced today that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has appointed Ron Gusek as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors. Additionally, the Board has elected William Kimble as non-executive Chairman of the Board. These leadership transitions are concurrent with the confirmation of Chris Wright as U.S. Secretary of Energy. Mr. Wright, the founder of Liberty Energy, has served as Chairman of the Board, Director, and Chief Executive Officer since the Company’s inception in 2011.
The Board of Directors congratulated Mr. Wright on his appointment as U.S. Secretary of Energy, commending his distinguished leadership and significant contributions to Liberty and the broader energy sector.
Mr. Gusek brings nearly 30 years of experience as a strategic leader, most recently serving as President of Liberty since November 2016. He joined Liberty in 2014 as Vice President of Technology and Development. Prior to Liberty, Mr. Gusek was Vice President, Corporate Engineering and Technology of Sanjel Corporation, a global energy service company. He previously held leadership roles at Zodiac Exploration, an E&P company in the central San Joaquin Valley in California, and at Pinnacle Technologies, a leading fracture diagnostic services company founded by Mr. Wright. He has earned a reputation as a leader focused on advancing innovative technology solutions to drive meaningful growth and deliver exceptional value to Liberty’s customers. Mr. Gusek earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alberta.
Mr. Gusek’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment as Liberty accelerates the development of its power business and advances technology innovation in completions services.
“I am honored to lead this incredible company as we embark on an extraordinary new chapter,” said Mr. Gusek. “Liberty has an extensive track record of technology innovation and executional excellence, driving transformative growth and success over its 13-year history. I am excited to steward the next phase of our growth journey alongside our talented team. I look forward to building upon the strong foundation that Chris and the team have established as we enable successful energy solutions for our customers across a broad range of end markets.”
Mr. Kimble served on the Board since the Company’s initial public offering in January 2018 and as Lead Director since October 2018. He joined KPMG in 1986 and held various senior roles throughout his career spanning more than three decades, until his retirement in 2015. Mr. Kimble serves on the board of directors and is the chair of the audit committee of Northern Oil and Gas. He previously served on the board of directors, the special committee, and was chair of the audit committee of DCP Midstream from June 2015 until October 2023.
Effective and disciplined succession planning is critical to Liberty’s ongoing success and a key component of its competitive advantage. This change in leadership is consistent with the Board’s succession plan developed years in advance and demonstrates the strength of the management development system.
