HWCG Announces Leadership Transition with Appointment of Managing Director

Houston, Texas. February 2nd , 2026 — HWCG today announced a planned leadership transition that will begin on February 2, 2026, and culminate with the appointment of Mike Cargol as Managing Director on April 1, 2026. Mr. Cargol succeeds Craig T. Castille, who has served in the role since January 2018. During Mr. Castille’s tenure, the organization has achieved significant advancements in sustainability, operating systems, compliance, response preparedness, and the procurement of new and upgraded response equipment.

The transition reflects HWCG’s continued focus on strong governance, technical credibility, and reliable execution in support of its Members, Response Providers,
Regulators, and the broader offshore energy industry. HWCG’s mission, operating model, and commitment to regulatory alignment remain unchanged.

Mr. Cargol brings more than 33 years of experience in global oilfield services and subsea well control, with senior leadership roles spanning capping and containment readiness, incident response, and multi-operator consortium  operations. He has held executive positions at Trendsetter Engineering and Wild Well Control, where he led strategy, P&L, and operational delivery for complex subsea and source-control systems supporting HWCG, OSRL, MWCC, and operator-owned assets across multiple regions. His work has included directing Incident Command System (ICS) planning, drills, and live activations, as well as serving as a primary interface with the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Coast Guard.