Irving Oil names Alfred Stern, former CEO of Austria’s OMV, as next president and CEO
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New Brunswick energy giant Irving Oil Ltd. has tapped European energy executive Alfred Stern as its next president and chief executive.
Stern will join Irving Oil on Oct. 1 and step into the top job on Nov. 1 after the retirement of Jeff Matthews following his 32-year career, the company said Monday.
Stern most recently served as chairman and chief executive of Austrian oil and gas group OMV AG.
The decision to bring in an outsider to fill the Saint John company’s leadership role comes after an 18-month strategic review, which wrapped up in January 2025.
The review of the oil refiner and retailer’s future ended with Irving Oil choosing to keep the family-owned business independent rather than pursue a sale.
Stern, born in Austria in 1965, said he is honoured to join the Irving Oil team at such an “important time in its history.”
“For over a century, this company has been guided by its commitment to employees, customers, businesses and communities,” he said in a statement.
“I look forward to meeting our teams, partners and customers across Eastern Canada, New England and Ireland, learning from them and building on the company’s strong foundation by investing in safety, reliability and security of supply, to support Irving Oil’s long-term, sustainable growth.”
Stern has more than three decades of leadership experience across the chemicals, petrochemicals and energy sectors in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
He most recently led Vienna-based OMV, after serving as chief executive of petrochemicals company Borealis AG and holding senior roles at DuPont.
Stern currently serves on the boards of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Bayer AG.
Maureen Kempston Darkes, lead director of Irving Oil’s board of directors, said the board conducted an extensive global search to identify a leader with “the experience, perspective and strategic capabilities needed to guide Irving Oil through its next chapter.”
Irving Oil operates Canada’s largest oil refinery in Saint John, with a capacity of more than 320,000 barrels per day. It also operates the Whitegate refinery in Ireland, which has a crude capacity of up to 75,000 barrels a day.
Irving Oil also has a chain of more than 1,000 fuelling sites, including gas stations, convenience stores and truck stops, as well as wholesale and fuel-trading businesses. It also operates the Canaport oil terminal on the Bay of Fundy’s north shore.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2026.