Ryan Keys, president and co-founder of Houston-based Triple Crown Resources LLC, is today’s featured Forty Under 40 honoree.

Keys started his career at Schlumberger Ltd. as a mechanical engineer, and though he enjoyed the work, he wanted more adventure, a desire that led him to petroleum engineering. After earning a master’s degree in that field, he worked in Argentina, only to come back to the U.S. when the shale boom took off.

Returning to work in U.S. shales was his first experience “of how fast this industry can pivot,” Keys said, which led him to work for a private operator then later in the energy investment banking group at Jefferies.

In launching his own company—private Midland Basin operator Triple Crown Resource, Keys has found a natural fit for his adaptable, opportunistic leadership style with his current team.

“I like being a fox instead of a hedgehog, so I’ve never been the best at one thing,” he said. “But I’ve made a point of learning from experts and specialists [hedgehogs], enough to speak their language. That breadth has been important and enables interdisciplinary cohesion.”

Click here for Ryan Keys’ complete profile.

Take a look at all of the Forty Under 40 honorees.

Oil and Gas Investor is accepting nominations for the 2021 Forty Under 40 in Energy awards. Click here to NOMINATE those that are MOVING THE INDUSTRY FORWARD.

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