UPDATE 1 — Colombia state oil firm Ecopetrol taps De La Espriella ally as chair

(Recasts with company confirmation, adds detail throughout) BOGOTA, Sept 17 (Reuters) — Colombian state oil firm Ecopetrol has tapped Carlos Augusto Suarez, who worked on President Abelardo De La Espriella's campaign, as chairman of the board, the company announced on Thursday. Suarez replaces Luis Felipe Henao, who previously served as board chairman. The reshuffle comes two days after a new board was elected by Ecopetrol shareholders, ushering in a series of changes to the nine-member board. “Ecopetrol warmly welcomes the new members of the Board of Directors and wishes them every success in this new phase, confident that their contributions will help strengthen the company’s management, strategy, and value creation for the company and its stakeholders,” Ecopetrol said in a press release. Markets are still awaiting the appointment of a chief executive for the firm. According to local media, the front-runner to lead the firm is Joaquin Gutierrez, a close associate of President De La Espriella. (Reporting by Kylie Madry and Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Fabiola Aramburo) ((mailto:Kylie.Madry@thomsonreuters.com;)