GeoPark Limited, an independent oil and gas company with over 20 years of successful operations across Latin America, announces the appointment of Felipe Bayon as its new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors, effective June 1, 2025. This appointment follows the decision of Andrés Ocampo to step down for personal reasons.
Mr. Bayon is recognized as one of the most effective energy executives in Latin America with more than three decades of accomplishments in the international oil and gas industry. From 2017 to 2023, Mr. Bayon was CEO of Ecopetrol, one of the most important energy groups in Latin America, where he led 18,000 employees, oversaw production of approximately 700,000 boed and revenues of over $30 billion, and delivered record financial, operational, and safety results. He is a proven and disciplined dealmaker who brought Ecopetrol into the unconventional Permian basin in the U.S. in partnership with Oxy — a project that grew from 0 to ca. 150,000 bpd gross in 4 years — into the Brazilian ultra-deepwater pre-salt play in partnership with Shell, as well as into a leading position in the Latin American power transmission sector and focused investments in renewable energies, water management, and nature-based climate solutions.
Mr. Bayon is a mechanical engineer who began his career in 1991 with Shell in field operations and projects and then moved to bp where he worked for 21 years in increasingly important operational and management roles in Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, the U.S. and the U.K., including his tenure as CEO of Pan American Energy, one of the leading private hydrocarbon producers in Argentina, from 2005 to 2010. Mr. Bayon has served on multiple Boards of Directors across the energy, utilities, education, and technology sectors.
Andrés Ocampo has been an invaluable contributor to GeoPark through more than 15 years of service and helped take the Company from its modest beginnings to its current respected reputation and leadership position in the region. Mr. Ocampo, who served as CEO for three years and CFO for more than eight years will continue to support the Company and ensure a seamless handover.
“On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Andres for his long-time dedication and significant contribution to the Company which has solidly positioned us for future expansion,” said Sylvia Escovar, Chair of GeoPark’s Board of Directors.
“It’s been a privilege and joy to be part of the GeoPark story for all these years,” said Andrés Ocampo. “I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with and learn from so many exceptional people, and proud of what we have achieved together. As a long-term shareholder, I believe Felipe is the right CEO to lead us into the future. Welcoming such an accomplished leader marks an important step forward as we enter our next powerful chapter of growth.”
“I am excited and honored to join the GeoPark team and to have the opportunity to lead its long-term commitment to further expand its scale, capabilities, bottom-line results, and work to create the model for a successful international independent energy company of the future,” said Felipe Bayón. “There are significant opportunities, the support is strong, and the team is ready to run. My thanks to the GeoPark Board and Management for their trust in me and their relentless resolve to build a great company.”
