Victor Mendoza
Victor Mendoza knew he wanted to pursue a career in the oil and gas industry and wasted little time in doing so after graduating from Texas A&M University. Since then, he has reached a life goal of creating his own business and plans to keep going in order to make his business as successful as possible.
Why did you enter the oil and gas industry?
“Attending Texas A&M, you’re exposed to the oil and gas industry at every corner. I knew I wanted to pursue a banking career in oil and gas. After graduating, I joined Amegy Bank’s development program and was given the great opportunity to join its well-respected energy team. From then, I knew I wanted the rest of my career to be in oil and gas.”
Which of your professional achievements are you most proud of?
“Completing our first oil and gas asset-backed security [ABS] transaction, which was also our first unconventional asset ABS, was a great achievement for my team. As a boutique firm, which had not completed an ABS transaction before, we knew it would be challenging to get that first deal done. We were lucky to have a great partner in our client, Diversified Energy, to trust in our capabilities.”
What is a career milestone you reached sooner than you had planned?
“I’ve always wanted to start my own business. Partnering with Donovan Ventures to create a new group focused on ABS financings provided me with that opportunity.”
What qualities do you think are necessary for a good leader in the oil and gas industry?
“Share the glory: Nothing is possible without your entire team. I think it is important to give personal recognition to your team members after every transaction. Open communication: Be clear on expectations and keep an open channel to answer any questions that may help your team members.”
Who are your mentors, and what is the most valuable advice they have given you?
“I have been very lucky to have great people take interest in my career development. From the managers at the institutions I’ve worked at, to my current partners. I also sought out people outside my institutions like Mark Kelly (V&E) and Rob Johnson (EIG), who have been instrumental in my career progression. On the personal side, my wife, Sarah, has been my biggest proponent. She pushed me to take the risk of starting the ABS team with Donovan Ventures and continues to support everything I do.”
What professional advice would you give other young professionals in the industry?
“Take risks when you’re young. If you have that entrepreneurial spirit and you’ve always wanted to go out on your own, it’s easier earlier on in your career.”
What do you think young industry members have to offer the industry that is unique to them?
“As one of the oldest industries in our nation, the oil and gas industry, although continuously adapting new technologies, has been one of ‘this is the way it’s been done.’ The younger generation offers different perspectives that may bring improvements to our industry.”
What transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?
“Hands down I think implementation of technology will be the key transformation in our industry in years to come. From data analytics to machine learning, our firm is working on bringing some of these things together into a FinTech product that will connect individual investors for direct investments into producing oil and gas assets. This will facilitate investment growth into our industry from different sources of capital.”
1. I lived in Mongolia for a few months for an internship in metals and mining. During my stint there, I had a near death experience as we got stranded in the freezing tundra for three days until we were rescued.
2. Growing up, I was big into basketball. When I lived in Mexico, I was chosen for the junior national basketball team, which subsequently led to a prep school scholarship.
3. When we were in our 20s, my wife and I opened a bed and breakfast in Fredericksburg, Texas, called Starry’s Studio, which has been a blast to operate.