Shapiro, McCoy assume new roles at Burlington Resources
Houston-based Burlington Resources Inc. has made several changes to its management team. Steven J. Shapiro will take over as the company’s executive vice president of finance and corporate development. He will continue to serve in the office of the chairman with Bobby Shackouls, the company’s chairman, president, and CEO, and Randy Limbacher, executive vice president and COO. Shapiro previously served as executive vice president and CFO and continues to serve on Burlington’s board of directors. Reporting to Shapiro will be Joseph P. McCoy, formerly Burlington’s vice president and controller. He has been named senior vice president and CFO. Burlington conducts exploration, production, and development operations in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa, China, and South America.
Tandem Energy names Michael Cunningham CFO
Michael Cunningham has joined Tandem Energy Holdings Inc. as CFO. He will be responsible for helping the company secure a listing on a senior stock exchange. Prior to this appointment, Cunningham worked at Clayton Williams Energy Inc. He helped take the company public in 1993 and was promoted to controller in 2000. Cunningham brings 25 years of experience to Tandem, with a specialty in oil and gas accounting. He graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Tex. and received his Texas CPA certification. He is a member of the American and Texas Societies of CPAs. Tandem Energy Holdings was formed to acquire all outstanding stock from Tandem Energy Corp. as well as low-risk oil and gas properties in Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Big Sky Energy expands its management team, Gaston appointed CFO
Big Sky Energy Corp. named Bruce H. Gaston CFO of the company, which is currently operating in Kazakhstan’s pre-Caspian basin. Gaston replaces Tom Milne, who will remain at Big Sky as a director of the corporation. Gaston has nearly 20 years’ experience with a background in Eurasia, and most recently worked with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell in London and Tokyo. He has been a finance and risk management consultant, a director of Deloitte & Touche Central Asia, and has considerable experience in risk management in global markets. Gaston received his BA from the University of New Brunswick and an MSc in economics from the University of London. Ruslan Z. Tsarni also joins Big Sky’s management team as vice president, business development and corporate secretary. Tsarni has 10 years of experience in oil and gas legislation and corporate law. His most recent position was that of corporate counsel of Nelson Resources Limited Group, while serving as managing director of many of its subsidiaries. Tsarni has counseled multinational companies on various facets of Kazakhstan legal issues.
Ernst & Young adds Andy Yood as director
Ernst & Young LLP’s Energy Center has named Andy Yood as director of oil and gas tax services for the firm’s national tax practice. This practice provides quality assurance, tax, transaction, and risk management services to energy companies. Yood comes to Ernst & Young from the American Petroleum Institute where he started out as a tax attorney and, most recently, director of taxation. Before that Yood was a tax attorney for the Internal Revenue Service. Yood earned his BBA from the University of Tennessee, his law degree from Western New England College School of Law, and an LLM in taxation from Georgetown University.
Hildestad, Schneider receive promotions at MDU Resources Group
Terry D. Hildestad has been named president and COO of the MDU Resources Group Inc. He succeeds Martin A. White, chairman, president and CEO, who resigned his post as president May 1. White remains the company’s chairman and CEO. Hildestad, who had been president of Knife River Corp., the construction materials and mining subsidiary of MDU Resources, since 1991, started at the company in 1974. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Dickinson (ND) State University and completed the advanced management program at the Harvard School of Business. Taking Hildestad’s position as president and CEO of Knife River Corp. is William Schneider. Schneider has held the position of senior vice president - construction materials since 1999. He came to the company with the acquisition of Alaska Basic Industries in 1993 with 20 years of industry experience. Schneider attended the University of South Dakota and completed the Harvard advanced management program.
Torrent Energy adds new team members
Tom Kerestes will join Methane Energy Corp., a wholly owned operating subsidiary of Torrent Energy Corp., as vice president of operations. He earned his degree in mechanical industrial engineering technology in 1980 and has over 25 years experience in all facets of drilling and completions. Kerestes has managed programs for Gulf Oil, Pennzoil, Beau Canada, Husky Energy, Keywest Energy, Atlas Energy, and Compton Petroleum. In addition to this appointment, Torrent Energy has retained Environmental Partners Inc. to deal with various environmental facets related to the company’s pilot program. Also joining Methane are Dr. Alan Niem, who will join the geological team, and John D. Carlson, who comes on board as Methane’s COO. Niem is professor emeritus in the department of geosciences at Oregon State University where he has taught for 32 years. He has published many papers and has served as a consultant to the US Geological Survey and many oil and gas companies, both domestically and internationally. Carlson, a Registered Professional Engineer, brings 25 years’ experience in facilities construction and operations, gas marketing, reservoir analysis, project economics and coalbed methane. He remains director of Torrent. Torrent Energy is an exploration company focusing on developing non-conventional natural gas reserves. The company’s current focus is on the exploration of the Coos Bay basin project in southwestern Oregon where the company currently has a land portfolio that includes 70,000 acres of prospective land in the area.
Bond, Hotte move up the ladder at Southern Union
Robert O. Bond has been appointed president and COO of Southern Union Co.’s Panhandle Energy and CrossCountry Energy interstate natural gas pipeline operations. Bond earned a BS from Texas A&M University then went on to positions at El Paso Energy, Tenneco Energy, and Sonat Marketing Co. He joined Panhandle in 2000 and moved from executive director of optimization to vice president of marketing and on to senior vice president and chief commercial officer. Also moving up at Southern Union is Steve J. Hotte. Hotte takes the reins as senior vice president of information technology where he will be responsible for the company’s information and technology functions and strategies. Hotte had been senior vice president of IT for the company’s pipeline operations. Before that, he was responsible for Enron’s corporate IT team. Southern Union is based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and deals in the transportation, storage, and distribution of natural gas.
TETRA expands management team
TETRA Technologies Inc. has expanded and restructured its management team. Stuart M. Brightman has been named executive vice president and COO, and Paul Coombs has been appointed executive vice president of strategic initiatives. Brightman has spent the last 11 years at Dresser Inc., most recently as division president of Dresser Flow Control. He also played a strategic role in the Wheatley TXT Corp. merger into the Dresser Oilfield Division. Before joining Wheatley TXT, he served in numerous financial and operational positions with Cameron Iron Works and Cooper Industries. Brightman earned a BS from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Paul Coombs has worked with TETRA for 23 years and has held numerous positions within the company, most recently as executive vice president and COO. Prior to that role, he served as senior vice president as well as general manager - oil and gas. He is a member of the company’s board of directors. TETRA is an oil and gas services company, including an integrated calcium chloride and brominated products manufacturing operation that supplies feedstocks to energy markets, as well as other markets.
Jeffrey Mobley joins Chesapeake Energy as VP-investor relations
Chesapeake Energy Corp. has named Jeffrey L. Mobley as vice president - investor relations and research. Mobley joins the company after spending three years with Raymond James and Associates, where he was vice president of equity research focusing on the exploration and production sector. Mobley also has experience in the energy investment banking and private equity arenas. He is a CFA charterholder and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. He will be responsible for Chesapeake’s energy industry and macroeconomic research initiatives and will assume the investor relations responsibilities from Tom Price Jr., who will resume his prior position as senior vice president - corporate development.
Severson named president of Commerce Street Venture Group
Diversified private equity firm Commerce Street Venture Group has named Dennis Severson president. The company will utilize Severson’s 25 years of business experience with growth-oriented companies by involving him in the day-to-day operations with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Association of Securities Dealers while he continues to help raise investment capital and evaluate companies. Severson most recently served as vice president of business development for Commerce Street Venture Group. Before that, he worked as a financial consultant with Dean Witter, specializing in private placements.
Steinke to chair Storm Cat’s board
Joining Storm Cat Energy Corp.’s board of directors is Craig Steinke. He will serve as the chairman of the board. Steinke is a founding shareholder of Storm Cat and has served as a consultant to the company. He created Reconnaissance Energy, specializing in oil and gas property acquisitions and corporate finance, and has founded and served as CEO and director of various Canadian junior oil and gas exploration and production companies. Dr. S. Robert Bereskin has resigned as a director, but will continue to serve the company as a consultant. Storm Cat is an exploration company focusing on developing unconventional natural gas resources globally.
Resignations alter board at Genoil Inc.
Adam Hedayat and Brian Korney have been named to the board of directors of Calgary-based Genoil Inc. The director positions were opened when Harley Mintz and John O’Donnell resigned. The new board consists of David Lifschultz (chairman and CEO), Lawrence Lifschultz, Adam Hedayat, and Brian Korney (CFO). Korney has 28 years of experience in many facets of the energy industry including banking, insurance management, financing, and the administration of accounting. He has worked at companies such as Arthur Andersen & Co., Robert W. Lamond Group of Companies, Grad & Walker Resources Ltd., Innova Exploration Ltd., and Arctos Petroleum Corp. He has a bachelor of commerce degree and is a Chartered Accountant. Hedayat is currently the president of Hampco Enterprises Ltd. Before that he served SaskPower International Inc. as vice president, marketing and business development. He has also worked at TransAlta Utilities Corp. and Morrison-Knudsen International. Hedayat has served as chairman of the board of directors of the Drayton Valley Power Income Fund and Guyana Power and Light. Genoil is a technology development company that provides solutions to the oil and gas industry through the use of proprietary technologies.
New vice president of origination at GE
GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services has named P. Richard “Dick” Gessinger as vice president of origination for its oil and gas unit. His role will be to originate partnership investments with independent private and public oil and gas producers to acquire or monetize proven reserves. Gessinger earned his BA and MBA at Emory University. He has 30 years’ experience as an energy finance professional, most recently serving as CFO of a New York Stock Exchange-listed Gulf Coast energy company. GE Commercial Finance Energy Financial Services, based in Stamford, Conn., offers structured equity, leveraged leasing, partnerships, project finance and broad-based commercial finance to the global energy industry.
VAALCO Energy elects Dr. Luigi P. Caflisch director
Dr. Luigi P. Caflisch has been named to the board of directors of Houston-based VAALCO Energy Inc. He will stand for election to the board at its annual stockholders meeting on June 8. In 1999, Caflisch retired from Gulf Oil and Chevron after 31 years. There he held various positions in the international area including managing director for Africa-Middle East. He also shared responsibilities for directing worldwide upstream operations as a member of Chevron’s management team. He holds a doctorate degree in geology.
Pacific Energy Partners adds Timothy Day to board of directors
Timothy H. Day has been named to the board of directors of Pacific Energy Partners L.P. He is a vice president of First Reserve Corp., which recently acquired a minority interest in LB Pacific L.P., owner of the general partner of Pacific Energy. Day’s focus is developing and analyzing investment opportunities in the energy industry. Day has held positions with SCF Partners, Credit Suisse First Boston, and Salomon Brothers Inc. Pacific Energy Partners L.P. is engaged in the business of gathering, transporting, storing, and distributing crude oil and other related products in California and the Rocky Mountain region, including Alberta, Canada. Pacific Energy, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., also buys, blends, and sells crude oil.
Aquila chooses Dunn as senior vice president corporate communications
Norma F. Dunn has been named senior vice president, corporate communications at Aquila Inc. She is responsible for all facets of the company’s corporate communications such as policies, procedures, production, and dissemination of all communications. Dunn previously worked 17 years in various roles at El Paso Corp. in Houston. In 2004, she created and served as executive director of the Center for Cancer Economics at the M.D. Anderson Center in Houston. Dunn holds a BA from the University of Texas at El Paso and is a Certified Public Accountant. Aquila operates electric and natural gas distribution utilities serving 1.3 million customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nebraska. The company also owns and operates power generation assets. Aquila’s corporate headquarters are in Kansas City, Mo.
