Adnoc hired commodities veteran Benoit Roulon to lead its trading unit as the producer scales global operations. Roulon joins from Squarepoint Capital, bringing experience from Gunvor SA and a 21-year tenure at Total Energies. This move supports a broader strategy to grow the trading arm following the UAE's recent exit from OPEC.

CEO Ahmed Bin Thalith wants to increase handled volumes by two-thirds, targeting 2 million barrels a day. This ambition coincides with a push to raise production capacity to 5 million barrels a day, up from 3.6 million. To support this, the company recently opened a Geneva office and plans a Houston expansion by 2027.

Geopolitical tension around the Strait of Hormuz has hindered regional output, yet Adnoc maintained activity using smaller tankers to bypass closures. A potential US-Iran agreement to reopen the strait could further accelerate these export flows. Roulon's appointment provides the technical leadership needed to manage this increased volume and international footprint.

Abu Dhabi is aggressively diversifying its export logistics to secure market share. This hiring signals a shift toward a more autonomous, commercially driven trading model separate from previous OPEC constraints.