Matthias Abrell

About Matthias Abrell

Matthias Abrell is a director of ChampionX Corporation as of July 16, 2025, appointed at the closing of the SLB–ChampionX merger; CHX is now an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of SLB and was delisted from Nasdaq on July 16, 2025 . Abrell serves as General Counsel – Production Systems Division at SLB, based in Houston, which indicates core credentials in corporate law, compliance, and transaction execution . Tenure on the CHX board began July 16, 2025 .

Past Roles

External Roles

Board Governance

• Board composition post-merger: Paul Sims (President), Matthias Abrell, Samantha Blons became directors of the surviving corporation at the Effective Time (July 16, 2025); prior CHX directors resigned at closing .
• Independence status: Post-merger CHX is a wholly owned subsidiary of SLB and was delisted from Nasdaq; stock exchange independence standards no longer apply, and Abrell is an SLB executive, so he is not independent of the parent .
• Committees: The Second Amended and Restated By-laws authorize board committees and detail powers/procedures; however, specific committee assignments for the new board have not been disclosed .
• Governance documents: New Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and By-laws adopted at closing, including indemnification, advancement of expenses, and forum selection provisions .

Fixed Compensation

• Not disclosed for Abrell. CHX director compensation schedules referenced in the 2025 proxy apply to pre-merger non-employee directors and do not include Abrell, who joined post-merger when CHX became a private subsidiary; no post-merger director compensation disclosure is available .

Performance Compensation

• Not disclosed for Abrell. No information on equity grants, options, or performance-based director awards at CHX post-merger is available in public filings .

Other Directorships & Interlocks

• Interlock: Abrell is an SLB legal executive and now sits on the CHX subsidiary board alongside other SLB-affiliated appointees (Paul Sims, Samantha Blons), reflecting tight integration with the parent’s governance .
• No additional public company boards for Abrell were identified in available sources.

Expertise & Qualifications

• Legal and compliance expertise: General Counsel for SLB’s Production Systems Division, indicating deep experience in corporate law, compliance, and transactional support across energy equipment and services .
• Corporate governance and M&A integration exposure: Appointment concurrent with merger closing suggests involvement in post-merger governance alignment for the subsidiary .

Equity Ownership

• Not disclosed for Abrell at CHX. The 8-K details conversion mechanics for CHX security holders and award treatment broadly, but does not report Abrell’s individual beneficial ownership; CHX equity is no longer publicly traded post-merger .

Governance Assessment

• Strengths:

  • Clear parent control with rapid post-merger governance realignment; standardized charter/by-laws with robust indemnification and advancement provisions may support decisive oversight and legal risk management .
  • Alignment with SLB’s strategic and compliance frameworks via board members who are SLB insiders (including Abrell), potentially streamlining integration and execution .

• Risks and RED FLAGS:

  • Lack of independent oversight at the subsidiary level: Abrell is an SLB executive; the three-person board is parent-appointed, creating inherent related-party oversight risks and limited minority shareholder protections (though CHX is wholly owned, public investor visibility is eliminated) .
  • Related-party transactions: With parent control and SLB appointees, any intercompany dealings (e.g., services, IP, financing) require rigorous internal controls; public related-party review procedures from pre-merger governance do not apply post-delisting, reducing external transparency .
  • Data opacity: Post-merger compensation, committee roles, attendance, and ownership details for Abrell are not disclosed, constraining investor confidence assessments .

Bottom line: Abrell’s role as SLB Production Systems General Counsel and CHX director signals strong parent alignment and legal rigor, but removes the independence buffer in governance and reduces public transparency after delisting—relevant for counterparties and debt investors tracking subsidiary governance quality .