INDUSTRY body Oil & Gas UK has appointed Shell veteran Deirdre Michie as its next chief executive, at a pivotal time for the North Sea.

Ms Michie will start her new post on May 1. She succeeds Malcolm Webb, who is retiring formally at the end of May.

The UK oil and gas industry has been hit hard by the tumble in global crude prices in recent months, with operators shedding workers and cutting pay for contractors.

Ms Michie said: "This is a hugely challenging time for the industry that will require us all - industry, government and the new regulator - to work co-operatively and collaboratively to ensure we address the issues that face us.

"This is a great industry, a key part of the British economy and with a UK-based supply chain that is world class. Oil & Gas UK has a crucial role in helping the industry to emerge from the current downturn on a stronger, fitter and more sustainable footing that will see the UK producing oil and gas from its offshore areas for decades to come. It is a role I will greatly relish."

Oil & Gas UK co-chairman Trevor Garlick, the head of BP's North Sea business, said: "Deirdre Michie's strong oil and gas industry background will help her represent the broad spectrum of our membership, whilst also providing the strategic thinking and direction the industry needs from its trade association, especially in these [challenging] times."

Ms Michie has held a variety of posts at Shell.

In 2014, she developed and implemented a revised "sustainable operating model" for Shell's UK upstream operations.

From 2011 to 2014, she managed a global team to deliver a business plan and significant savings in relation to a multi-billion-pound annual strategic sourcing programme for Shell International Petroleum Company Limited.