Oil and gas executive
Born: May 7, 1959;
Died: January 14, 2016
DAVID Doig, who has died of a heart attack aged 57, was a leading figure in the oil and gas industry. He had been chief executive of OPITO, the educational and training organisation, since 2005 and was a committed advocate of lifelong learning.
Born and raised in St Andrews and based in Dubai, he was educated at Madras College and remained intensely proud of his Fife roots throughout his life. With an early background in engineering, he worked on major offshore projects in the North Sea for more than 25 years before moving onshore in 1994 to lead on maintenance support contracts as a business unit operations manager with KBR.
He joined OPITO in 1999 as head of the audit team and worked steadily to broaden his knowledge and experience, including returning to education to complete an MBA with the Open University.
He was appointed chief executive in spring 2005, then group CEO following the creation of OPITO International in 2009 where he forged new relationships and advised governments, national and international oil companies and contractors on workforce development strategies.
He was a strong supporter of the oil and gas industry, a committed advocate of lifelong learning and an ardent supporter of initiatives that provide opportunities for people to gain new skills. Under his leadership, OPITO supported initiatives to both attract people to the industry and empower people around the world, including a transformational international higher education programme with the Open University and life changing schemes in Africa and India to address the chronic shortage of teachers and increase pathways into education for women.
As the organisation grew, he relocated to the United Arab Emirates, over-seeing growth into new markets and the establishment of OPITO’s first overseas offices in Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Houston and Cyprus.
He was also a driver for change when it came to opening doors for young people and was a champion of the UK oil and gas industry’s modern apprenticeship scheme since its launch in 1999, working with employers and the industry during both good and challenging economic times to ensure that career opportunities continued to exist.
John Taylor, chairman of OPITO, described Mr Doig as a vocal champion of OPITO, a much-respected industry leader, a firm advocate of social responsibility, and a trusted colleague and friend to many.
Mr Taylor said: “His straight-talking approach, determination and passionate belief that all oil and gas workers regardless of their job role, their employer or their nationality should be able to travel to work and return home safely at the end of the day, helped drive positive change in countless countries around the world and inspired great loyalty among those who knew him. His loss is sorely felt by us all.”
Mr Doig returned to Scotland as often as he could. A St Andrews lad at heart, he will be remembered by many for his love of life, his quick laughter and his mean swing on the golf course.
He suffered a heart attack on December 31 and died in hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife.
He is survived by his wife Gillian and his two children.
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