SAN ANTONIOEPIC Midstream Holdings LP Nov. 12 announced its executive leadership succession plan, in which the Board of Directors unanimously appointed Brian Freed to succeed Phil Mezey as CEO, with Mezey becoming non-executive chairman. In addition to his role as CEO, Freed will join the company’s Board of Directors. 

“I am very pleased with the progress we have made in accomplishing our goal of building world-class midstream assets from the Permian Basin to the Gulf Coast,” said Mezey. “With this achievement, we are now empowering the next generation of leaders to successfully transition EPIC from a company focused on project development to a leader in operational excellence. In my new role, I’ll continue to drive our strategic thinking with a special focus on several key initiatives that have the potential to further enhance our capabilities as a leading midstream player. I believe Brian’s appointment to CEO will best serve our employees, customers and shareholders in the future.” 

“I am excited about this next phase of the company’s growth and am focused on making EPIC a market leader in the Permian Basin over the coming years,” said Freed. “I am honored to have worked with Phil for the past year and look forward to continuing to partner with him in his new role,” he added.    

Freed has served as EPIC’s president since July 2019. Prior to joining EPIC, he served as the senior vice president, midstream and marketing, of Apache Corp.

“Phil has positioned EPIC’s organization and its assets for continued long-term growth,” said Nate Walton, partner in the private equity group of Ares Management. “Brian has played a critical role in the commercialization of EPIC’s crude and NGL pipelines, and we look forward to this next phase under his leadership.”