NOV CEO Clay Williams to retire; Jose Bayardo named successor

NOV Inc. said Chairman and CEO Clay Williams will retire at the end of the year, and President and Chief Operating Officer Jose Bayardo will assume the roles of chairman, president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2026. The company said the move reflects the board’s focus on long-term succession planning and leadership continuity.

Williams has spent more than 30 years with NOV, including more than a decade as CEO. Lead Independent Director William Thomas said Williams guided the company through “transformation and volatility,” navigating deep industry cycles while reinforcing a culture of integrity, innovation and operational resilience.

Clay Williams

“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Clay for his leadership and lasting impact on NOV,” Thomas said. He added that Bayardo was selected following a rigorous succession process and is “well-prepared” to lead the company’s next phase of growth.

Williams said it had been a privilege to lead NOV and praised Bayardo as a leader who “knows our business, our people and our customers well.”

NOV is a global provider of equipment, components, and technology-driven solutions for the energy industry, including oil and gas drilling and production operations.

Jose Bayardo

Bayardo joined NOV in 2015 as senior vice president and chief financial officer and was promoted to president and COO earlier this year. In his current role, he oversees global operations and supports strategic alignment across the organization. His prior experience includes leadership roles at Continental Resources and Complete Production Services. He holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Texas at Austin and MBA and engineering management degrees from Northwestern University.

Bayardo said he is honored to take on the role and intends to build on “NOV’s strong foundation” while advancing technologies that support safe, efficient and reliable energy production.