THE new chief executive of Australian oil and gas contractor Clough has come on board at a time of crisis in the services industry, but says he is thrilled to be leading the company’s next growth phase.

Peter Bennett started at Clough on 1 February 2016 as the successor to Kevin O’Gallagher.

Bennett’s arrival has coincided with the end of the Australian liquefied natural gas construction boom in which Clough has been a major beneficiary and, even worse, an entrenched industry downturn.