Talisman Energy Inc. (NYSE: TLM; TO: TLM) appointed Paul R. Smith as chief financial officer effective May 20.

Scott Thomson, Talisman's current chief financial officer, is leaving the company to become president and CEO of Finning International.

Smith joined Talisman in 2009 and currently serves as executive vice president, North America. In this role, he led the business transformation away from a focus on deep sour gas, to a strong position in four of the leading unconventional plays in North America. This included the sale of over C $5 billion of assets, as well as strategic joint venture agreements in the Montney and the Eagle Ford.

He started his career with BP Plc and held senior roles in various international locations, including vice-president and director of upstream projects; chief financial officer for Trinidad operations; and upstream vice president for TNK-BP in West Siberia.

A successor for Smith will be announced at a later date.

Talisman Energy Inc. is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development, production, transportation, and marketing of crude oil, natural gas, and NGLs. The company is headquartered in Calgary.