Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of
Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain
Officers.
Appointment of Chief Operating Officer
On June 17, 2021, NextDecade Corporation (the "Company") appointed Ivan Van der
Walt as Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective July 1, 2021.
Mr. Van der Walt, age 46, has served as the Senior Vice President, Engineering
and Construction, of the Company since July 2018 where he was responsible for
all project management, engineering, construction, commissioning, and
operations of the Company's liquefied natural gas ("LNG") and carbon
capture projects. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Van der Walt was a Deputy
Project Director at Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (now McDermott International
("McDermott")) from May 2016 until May 2018. Mr. Van der Walt has nearly 30
years of experience in the oil and gas industry, including senior roles
with McDermott and Chevron. He also previously served as chief executive of the
Australasian division of the KNM Group. Mr. Van der Walt has management
experience on multiple LNG projects including Darwin LNG, Woodside LNG Train 5,
Pluto LNG, Gorgon LNG, and Cameron LNG. Mr. Van der Walt has provided dynamic
and motivational leadership with a demonstrated ability to deliver results in
diverse and challenging business environments and has successfully managed
crosscountry pipelines and compressor station projects in support of the LNG
and power industries. Mr. Van der Walt holds a Bachelor of Science in
Engineering Technology.
The appointment of Mr. Van der Walt to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the
Company was not made pursuant to any arrangement or understanding with respect
to any other person. In addition, there are no family relationships between Mr.
Van der Walt and any director or other executive officer of the Company. Mr. Van
der Walt has no direct or indirect material interest in any transactions
required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K and there are
no changes in Mr. Van der Walt's current compensation as a result of the
change in title.
Appointment of General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
On June 17, 2021, the Company appointed Vera de Gyarfas as General Counsel and
Corporate Secretary of the Company, effective July 12, 2021, to replace Krysta
De Lima, the Company's General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, who notified the
Company on June 16, 2021 of her resignation effective as of July 7, 2021. Ms. De
Lima's resignation was not due to any disagreement with the Company on any
matter relating to the Company's operations, policies, or practices.
Ms. de Gyarfas, age 54, joins the Company with nearly 30 years of legal
experience in the global energy industry having responsibility for oversight of
all legal, corporate governance, compliance, litigation, regulatory, and outside
counsel management. She was previously a partner in Mayer Brown LLP's Houston
office and a member of the firm's Oil & Gas industry group. Ms. de Gyarfas has
extensive LNG industry experience, including having represented Anadarko
Petroleum Corporation as operator of the Area 1 Block and developer of an LNG
project in Mozambique, structuring, and negotiating investments agreements,
commercial contracts, LNG Sale and Purchase Agreements, and other activities in
support of LNG project developers, buyers, and investors. Ms. de Gyarfas is U.S.
Regional Director for the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators and
Vice Chair of the International Committee of the Institute for Energy Law.
On June 21, 2021, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment
of Mr. Van der Walt as Chief Operating Officer of the Company, the
appointment of Ms. de Gyarfas as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the
Company, and the resignation of Ms. De Lima as General Counsel and Corporate
Secretary of the Company. A copy of such press release is attached hereto
as Exhibit 99.1.
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Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
99.1 Press Release, dated June 21, 2021 .
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