Mr. LaChance has been a portfolio manager specializing in high-yield bonds and distressed investments for the past 11 years. Most recently Mr. LaChance was at Satellite Asset Management, L.P., a $7 billion AUM (Assets Under Management) investment management fund in New York City. Prior to that, he was a Partner at Post Advisory Group, LLC, an $8 billion AUM investment management firm in Los Angeles. Before that, he managed hedge funds for LibertyView Capital Management.

He began his professional career as an audit and management consultant for Arthur Andersen & Co. Subsequent to obtaining his MBA Mr. LaChance worked as a restructuring and merchant banker with Chase Manhattan Bank. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Northeastern University ('88) and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University ('93).

Marion M. Woolie
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Mr. Woolie joined Northern Offshore in October 2007 as President and CEO, after 25 years of service at Global Marine Drilling Company, where he held positions of increasing responsibility culminating as President in 1998 and as Senior Vice President, Operations for GlobalSantaFe from 2001 to 2007.  Previously, he was with National Supply Company, with the wellhead/subsea and drilling equipment divisions. He served as Chairman of the International Association of Drilling Contractors in 2004 and is a member of the American Petroleum Institute.  Mr. Woolie holds a bachelors degree in management and an MBA from the University of Houston.

Mr Knudtzon is a partner in the Oslo office of the law firm, Thommessen Krefting Greve Lund AS Advokatfirma. Mr Knudtzon was admitted to the Norwegian bar in 1979 and before the Supreme Court in 1991. He became a partner in Lund & Co ANS in 1986 which merged with Thommessen in 1993. He is a Board Member of the Norwegian Maritime Law Association and a member of the legal committee of the Norwegian Shipowners Association.Mr Knudtzon is also a non-executive board member on various shipping companies. He is a Norwegian citizen and resides in Oslo, Norway.

Mr. Plumer is a Partner and Senior Porfolio Manager for Dallas-based Highland Capital Management, L.P., a $31 billion-plus AUM, SEC-registered investment advisory firm specializing in credit, structured product and special-situations investment.  Prior to joining Highland in 1999, he was a distressed high-yield bond trader at Lehman Brothers in New York.  Before that, he was a corporate finance banker at Bank of America Capital Markets.  A Chartered Financial Analyst, he holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Baylor University and an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.

Mr. Vouloumanos is a Director at Ramius Capital , New York which he joined in 2000.  Previously, he was with Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette in the Leveraged Finance Department.  A Chartered Financial Analyst, he holds a bachelor of sciences degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MBA in finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University.

Mr. Dawson joined Northern Offshore in early 2008, after serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the offshore drilling company GlobalSantaFe from 2005 until its merger with Transocean Inc. in late 2007.  He previously served as Vice President and Controller and as Vice President and Treasurer for GlobalSantaFe.  Before that, he was Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications for Global Marine, Inc., and served in various financial management, investor relations and acquisitions positions at Union Texas Petroleum Holdings.  He began his career with Shell Oil Company.  He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Iowa and serves on the Board of Directors of Benchmark Electronics, Inc., an NYSE company, where he chairs the Audit Committee and is a member of the Compensation Committee.

Mr. Brooks joined Northern Offshore in December 2007 after spending nearly 30 years in the offshore drilling business.  Previously, he was Regional Vice President of Deepwater and Gulf of Mexico Operations for GlobalSantaFe.  Before that, he was in charge of operations in West Africa and led various deepwater operations for that company around the world.   He also spent 17 years with Sedco Forex, holding almost every rig position in the Sedco deepwater and floating fleet in addition to working in upgrade/construction project management.  He holds a bachelors degree in administration from the University of Mississippi.

Mr. Gangelhoff is an industry veteran with 33 years of experience in contract drilling operations management and marketing.   Most recently, he was Vice President of Sales & Contracts for Deepwater and Vice President of Business Development for GlobalSantaFe until that companys merger with Transocean Inc.  He previously served several years as Vice President of Operations for GlobalSantaFe International Corporation, living in Southeast Asia and South America. Prior to that he spent several years working around the world offshore in various rig positions, and onshore in various rig management positions. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota and a masters in public relations from Boston University.