Exol CEO Frogson named VLS chairman

29 September 2025  

Exol Lubricants CEO Darren Frogson has succeeded Harald Oosting as chairman of the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS).

VLS confirmed Frogson’s appointment on September 26, saying he has nearly 30 years’ experience in the lubricants sector and great strength in commercial management.

Frogson has been a VLS board member since 2015 and was elected president of the United Kingdom Lubricants Association (UKLA) in 2020.

Oosting is succeeding Mike Bewsey as UKLA’s next president.

Transition

As CEO of Exol, Frogson runs one of the largest independent lubricants companies in the UK, with a £100 million turnover.

VLS said Frogson is passionate about the independent organisation’s work to maintain a fair and open lubricants market that benefits end users by assuring the performance claims made on lubricant products are valid and reliable. 

He is keen to support VLS members and the wider lubricants industry through the transition to net zero, with its increasingly complex vehicle parc, as well as maintain VLS’s track record in managing non-compliance, the organisation said.

VLS company secretary David Wright thanked Oosting for his work at VLS, saying his European perspective and background in data had provided valuable insight.