GE Oil & Gas and McDermott International Inc. launched io oil & gas consulting, a new independent venture to transform the development of front-end solutions for offshore fields. io aims to deliver greater certainty into the design and planning of the offshore oil and gas field and overhaul the current operator-contractor relationship. io will leverage the knowledge of the contractor community through its parents' expertise to better guide offshore projects at the development stage. Its scope will range through portfolio evaluation, exploration and planning support, appraisal and feasibility, conceptual engineering and FEED to the final investment decision. Furthermore io will consider the full field as one system with the technical insight to develop every aspect of the front-end solution. io is headquartered in London and will launch satellite offices in the US and Asia.

io is headed by Chief Executive Officer Dan Jackson, who has a track record of successfully starting and developing engineering consultancy businesses in the offshore sector. Joining him are Mark Dixon, Chief Technology Officer, with over 20 years in the offshore oil and gas sector including extensive start-up experience; Tony McAloon, Chief Operating Officer, with a 35-year track record of business governance experience in the industry; and Oliver Dixon, Chief Financial Officer, with 15 years of experience driving companies' growth strategies.