HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tidewater Inc. (NYSE: TDW) announced that the board of directors of Tidewater has appointed Quintin V. Kneen as President, Chief Executive Officer, and director of Tidewater, effective immediately. John T. Rynd is retiring as President, Chief Executive Officer, and director of Tidewater.

Mr. Kneen, who has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Tidewater since Tidewater’s November 2018 business combination with GulfMark Offshore, Inc. (“GulfMark”), was President, Chief Executive Officer, and a director of GulfMark prior to the business combination.

Mr. Kneen will also continue to serve as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer until a successor is appointed to that position.

Tidewater’s Chairman of the Board, Thomas R. Bates, Jr., commented, “We appreciate John’s many contributions during his tenure with Tidewater. He oversaw a successful merger with GulfMark that has positioned Tidewater to be the leader in the offshore service vessel industry while maintaining its unmatched financial strength and stability. We wish John all the best in his future plans.”

Mr. Bates continued, “Quintin is well qualified to lead Tidewater, having led GulfMark through both a successful reorganization and its combination with Tidewater. Following our combination, in his role as CFO, he has been focused on the financial integration of the two organizations and achieving the cost and operational synergies of that combination. The Board is confident that Quintin will do an excellent job as Tidewater continues to navigate its way through an industry still seeking a fulsome recovery.”

Mr. Kneen remarked, “I am proud to assume the leadership of this great company. Last year’s business combination created opportunities to realize synergies and strategic advantages. We will maximize the impact of these attributes and pursue additional opportunities to enhance our strategic position and capitalize on our large scale of operations. I am committed to continuing our outstanding safety record, maintaining our operational excellence and creating a business that is capital disciplined and dedicated to maximizing cash flow regardless of industry conditions. Tidewater’s scale of operations and its strong balance sheet place it in an excellent position to achieve these objectives and to deliver superior returns to our stockholders.”

About Tidewater

Tidewater owns and operates the largest fleet of Offshore Support Vessels in the industry, with over 60 years of experience supporting offshore energy exploration and production activities worldwide.