By Reuters Staff2 Min ReadFILE PHOTO: President and CEO of Suncor Energy Mark Little speaks on the TD Securities Calgary Energy Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 9, 2019. REUTERS/Todd Korol(Reuters) -Suncor Energy Inc stated on Friday its chief govt, Mark Little, has stepped down after a string of fatalities at Canada’s third-largest oil producer.Little was additionally stepping down as president and resigning from the board efficient instantly, the corporate stated in an announcement right here.Kris Smith, the corporate’s govt vice chairman of downstream will change Little as interim CEO, the Calgary, Canada, primarily based firm stated.A employee was killed on Thursday at Suncor’s oil sands base plant in northern Alberta the second fatality on the website this 12 months. Thirteen workers and contractors have died in accidents at Suncor websites since 2014, together with the newest fatality.“Suncor is committed to achieving safety and operational excellence across our business, and we must acknowledge where we have fallen short and recognize the critical need for change,” board chair Michael Wilson stated in an announcement.Activist funding agency Elliott Management has pushed Suncor so as to add new board administrators, overhaul administration and start a strategic overview.U.S.-headquartered Elliott additionally stated Suncor faces operational challenges and issues of safety.Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.