William Langin
TALOS ENERGYAbout William Langin
Executive Vice President – Exploration & Development at Talos Energy, appointed effective September 29, 2025, after senior exploration leadership roles at Hess Corporation and Shell plc . He holds a B.A. in Geology (Princeton) and a Ph.D. in Geophysics/Structural Geology/Statistics (Cornell) . Age not disclosed; tenure began in Q3 2025. Corporate performance context during his onboarding: Talos beat 2024 quarterly consensus every quarter on production, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted free cash flow; paid down its credit facility in full; and achieved record production volumes amid safety and emissions improvements . In Q3 2025, Talos delivered $103M free cash flow and production above 95 mboe/d as operational execution improved under the new leadership team . Notably, 2022–2024 TSR PSUs paid out at 0% (below threshold), underscoring TSR underperformance over that period .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hess Corporation | Vice President, Exploration Portfolio & Technology | Not disclosed (until departure upon Chevron merger) | Led exploration portfolio and technology; offshore focus and commercial leadership experience . |
| Shell plc | Senior Vice President, West/Deepwater Exploration; Vice President, Exploration – North America & Brazil; other roles | Began career 2003; other dates not disclosed | Significant technical and commercial leadership in offshore exploration across Gulf of America and other basins; built deepwater portfolio and execution capability . |
External Roles
None disclosed in Talos filings or the August 14, 2025 press release .
Fixed Compensation
- Base salary, target bonus %, and initial equity grant details for Mr. Langin have not been disclosed in Talos filings to date; no Item 5.02 8‑K with compensatory arrangements was found for Aug–Nov 2025 (search returned no 8-K 5.02) [ListDocuments search, 0 results].
- Company-wide compensation governance emphasizes no single-trigger change in control payments or vesting under the LTIP .
Performance Compensation
Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) – 2024 Framework and Outcomes (context for Talos incentive design)
| Performance Measure | Weight | Threshold (50%) | Target (100%) | Maximum (200%) | Actual 2024 | Weighted Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjusted Free Cash Flow Generation ($MM) | 50% | $300 | $400 | $500 | $447 | 73.4% |
| Year-End Net Debt Balance ($MM) | 10% | $1,350 | $1,250 | $1,150 | $1,242 | 10.8% |
| Average Daily Production (Mboe/d) | 20% | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90.8 | 15.5% |
| Safety (TRIR; SIFR hurdle) | 15% | <0.55 TRIR | <0.45 TRIR; SIFR <0.15 hurdle | <0.35 TRIR | TRIR 0.36; SIFR 0.03 | 28.5% |
| Environmental (GHG reduction; Methane hurdle) | 5% | 0.0% GHG | (2.5)% GHG or ≥(5)% methane | (5.0)% GHG | (1.2)% GHG; (10)% methane | 5.0% |
| Total AIP Payout Percentage | 100% | 133.3% |
Notes: 2024 metrics were fully quantitative; Upstream Adjusted EBITDA was removed to emphasize free cash flow and net debt; safety weighting increased; environmental weighting reduced to balance FCF and sustainability .
Long-Term Incentives (LTI)
- RSUs: Annual RSUs vest ratably over three years; 2024 awards vest 1/3 each on the anniversaries of March 5, 2024, subject to continued employment .
- PSUs: 2024 TSR PSUs use a 3-year performance period (Jan 1, 2024–Dec 31, 2026) and pay 0–200% based on absolute TSR and percentile-ranked relative TSR vs a defined E&P peer set (includes BRY, CRC, CRGY, HPK, KOS, MGY, MTDR, MUR, EGY, VTLE, XOP, WTI) .
- Governance: No single-trigger equity vesting under LTIP; double-trigger applies on change-in-control .
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stock Ownership Policy: Executives must hold multiples of base salary—CEO 6x; other NEOs 3x; other senior executives 1x; non-employee directors 5x of annual cash retainer. Measurement includes unvested time-based RS/RSUs but excludes options and unearned PSUs; 5-year compliance window; holding requirements may be imposed if noncompliant .
- Anti-hedging/anti-pledging: Hedging and pledging of company securities are prohibited by policy, mitigating misalignment and collateralization risk .
- Change-in-control treatment: The LTIP and severance framework avoid single-trigger vesting; alignment preserved via double-trigger structures .
Stock Ownership Guidelines (Talos policy)
| Role | Required Ownership Multiple |
|---|---|
| CEO | 6x base salary |
| Other Named Executive Officers | 3x base salary |
| Other Senior Executives | 1x base salary |
| Non-Employee Directors | 5x annual cash retainer |
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Executive Vice President – Exploration & Development, effective September 29, 2025 .
- Severance Plan: Talos’ Amended & Restated Executive Severance Plan (adopted Oct 21, 2020) provides severance benefits to executive participants; the formula includes target annual bonus and the severance multiple increases if a qualifying termination occurs within 24 months following a change-in-control; participants are subject to confidentiality, non-solicitation, and non-disparagement covenants .
- Clawback: Executive Compensation Clawback Policy adopted Nov 15, 2023 (SEC Rule 10D-1/NYSE compliant) requires recovery of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation for the three prior completed fiscal years after a restatement; covers current/former executive officers .
- Insider Trading Policy: Company-wide policy prohibits hedging and pledging, and governs trading windows for insiders .
Performance & Track Record
- Exploration leadership: On Q3 2025 call, Mr. Langin detailed the Daenerys discovery appraisal plan (Q2 next year), highlighting pay encountered in three zones and the need to test the northern fault block; emphasized multiple development pathways and operational excellence in drilling performance .
- Corporate delivery: Q3 2025 production exceeded guidance with >95 mboe/d production and $103M free cash flow, reflecting strong operational execution and cost discipline .
- 2024 corporate outcomes: Record production; quarterly beats on production, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted FCF; debt paydown to zero on the credit facility; improved safety and emissions .
- Shareholder return context: 2022–2024 TSR PSUs paid 0% (below threshold), signaling TSR underperformance across that 3-year period .
Investment Implications
- Alignment and retention: Double-trigger CIC provisions and prohibition on hedging/pledging reduce misalignment and forced acceleration risk; ownership guidelines increase “skin in the game,” though Mr. Langin’s specific holdings are not yet disclosed .
- Incentive quality: AIP places 60% weight on FCF and net debt and 35% on production/safety/environmental metrics; LTI mix of RSUs (retention) and TSR PSUs (market-relative performance) ties compensation to both capital discipline and shareholder returns .
- Execution leverage: Langin’s deep offshore exploration background and Q3 disclosures suggest disciplined appraisal sequencing and multiple commercialization pathways for Daenerys, but resource risk remains pending northern fault block results; TSR track record over 2022–2024 indicates the equity needs improved sustained performance to drive PSU realizations .
- Near-term selling pressure: Anti-pledging and ownership guidelines, coupled with double-trigger equity treatment, typically dampen near-term insider selling risk; absence of disclosed Form 4 transactions for Mr. Langin to date limits visibility (no compensatory 8-K filed) [ListDocuments search].
Overall, Langin’s hire strengthens subsurface leadership as Talos pivots to scaled, low-cost offshore growth. Incentive design emphasizes free cash flow, safety, and TSR, while governance (clawbacks, anti-pledging, double-trigger CIC) supports long-term alignment. Continued delivery on exploration/appraisal outcomes and capital discipline will be critical to translate operational outperformance into TSR improvement .