Oil and Gas Investor's 2025 Forty Under 40
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Presented by our sponsor, Preng & Associates, Oil and Gas Investor’s Forty Under 40 2025 class of honorees are changing the future of their company and the energy industry.
Oil and Gas Investor first launched its annual Forty Under 40 project over a decade ago as a recognition program showcasing the extreme talent the oil and gas industry has within its ranks. So far, we have proudly honored and celebrated dozens of these incredible trailblazers in the energy sector. Many have moved on to spearhead other successful companies, while others sold and founded new ones. These past honorees have paved the way for the class of 2025 and for the next generation of leaders to come.
This year’s honorees were nominated by peers, colleagues or superiors in an open submission process and selected from all sectors of the industry, including E&P, service, A&D, midstream and finance. All are recognized for proven leadership or potential and positive impact in their respective organizations. These role models demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit, creative problem-solving, leadership and community involvement.
The 2025 honorees for Oil and Gas Investor’s Forty Under 40 are (alphabetically by surname):
- Christopher Alfano | CEO | 360 Energy
- Lianne Armpriester | General Manager, Enterprise Integration | Chevron
- Jared Brady | Director of Drilling & Completions | BKV Corp.
- Clay Brett | Partner | Baker Botts
- Mike Brown | Director, Completions | Chord Energy
- Stacy Goldstein Cartier | Senior Vice President – Relationship Manager, Energy Finance | First Horizon Bank
- Rosemary Ciletti | Oil & Gas Marketing Director | TG Natural Resources
- Ellen Conley | Partner | Haynes and Boone
- Ian Costello | Senior Vice President of Operations; Founder/Principal | Infinity Natural Resources
- Steven Davidson | Vice President, Government and Public Affairs | Tallgrass Energy
- Michael Edmonds | Vice President, Oil and Gas Marketing | Continental Resources
- Daniel Fan | CEO; Sage Butte Energy | Partner; Pan Capital Management
- Jameson Farrell | Senior Vice President, Development & Strategy | Encino Energy
- Payvand Fazel | Vice President, NGL Operations and Commercial | Williams Cos.
- Austen Gilfillian | President | Viper Energy Partners
- Austin Groover | Global Senior Director, Digital Solutions | Nabors Industries
- Vianey Hollis | Assistant Controller | Brazos Midstream
- Harrison Holmes | CEO | Vaquero Midstream
- Jeremy Knop | CFO | EQT Corp.
- Aneil Kochar | Vice President and Treasurer | APA Corp.
- John Krenger | Senior Vice President, Director, Energy Banking | BOK Financial
- Chase Machmehl | Vice President - Finance | Civitas Resources
- Garrett Martin | COO | Double Eagle Energy
- Hayden McEntire | Senior Vice President, Integrated Operations & Planning | WaterBridge
- Greg McKee | Vice President of Supply Chain | Liberty Energy
- Dana Meadows | Global Portfolio Director, Artificial Lift Systems | Baker Hughes
- Emily Mills | Partner | Kimmeridge
- Robert Mills | Managing Director | Pickering Energy Partners
- Basel Murad | Chief Development Officer | Crescent Midstream
- Marcelo Sada Zuazua | Managing Director | Arroyo Investors
- Raki Sahai | Vice President - Reservoir Engineering & Corporate Reserves | Ascent Resources
- Ahmed Shedeed | COO | Upcurve Energy
- Jeffrey Stewart | Vice President of Engineering | Elk Range Royalties
- Ross Stuart | Vice President, Land | Continental Resources
- Jere Thompson | Executive Vice President & CFO | Diamondback Energy
- Alyssa Waters | Director, Corporate Development | Occidental Petroleum
- Pete Williams | CFO | Avant Natural Resources
- Ewaen Woghiren | Partner | Jones Walker
- Alice Yang | Managing Director, Sustainable Energies | CPP Investments
- Maggi Young | Director - Policy and Sustainability | Expand Energy
Ahmed Shedeed
Ahmed Shedeed isn’t one to easily take a back seat—his competitive nature and high standards often keep him closely involved. But during a high-profile planning effort that required tight coordination between technical, commercial and financial teams, he stepped aside. “Instead, I recommended someone from my team—someone sharp, but still early in their career—who I believed just needed the right opportunity to step up,” he says. He remained in a supporting role, guiding and coaching behind the scenes. His protégé came through, earning the respect of the other team leaders and delivering a strong result. “Delegation doesn’t come naturally to me,” Shedeed admits, “but I’ve come to realize that leadership isn’t just about driving outcomes—it’s also about knowing when to step aside and let someone else take the lead, especially when it helps develop the next wave of leaders.”
Alice Yang
Alice Yang was initially drawn to Calgary, the energy capital of Canada, to be closer to family, but the energy industry quickly took her focus. Her first site visit—to a crude pipeline system in Colombia—made a huge impression. “Seeing the physical infrastructure after weeks of working on marketing materials gave me a deep appreciation for the scale and complexity of hydrocarbon logistics and the importance of operational excellence in energy infrastructure,” she says.
Alyssa Herring Waters
Alyssa Waters knew she wanted to start her career in investment banking to challenge herself and gain a solid foundation in finance and modeling. As a native Houstonian, she was never far from the impact of the energy sector. “The oil and gas industry always fascinated me, and energy investment banking added another challenge due to the complex and dynamic nature of the industry,” she says. “Additionally, although I never met my grandfather, Robert Ray Herring, his legacy as president and chairman of Houston Natural Gas Corp. inspired me to find my own success in the industry.”
Aneil Kochar
Aneil Kochar wanted two things after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in accounting: to come back to his hometown of Houston and to launch his career in investment banking. “Entering oil and gas was the natural marriage of the two,” he says. “Once on the job, I was immediately fascinated by the industry and its critical role in nearly every facet of modern-day life.”
Austen Gilfillian
On the 10th anniversary of Viper Energy becoming a publicly traded company, Austen Gilfillian had the honor of ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ in New York City. “It was a unique opportunity to get to ring the bell in itself,” he says, “but it was especially memorable to do it with the full Viper team and have that moment for all to reflect on the achievements of the company and the relevant role we now play in the public equity markets vs our time at IPO when we were just a small company existing in a mostly niche subsector of the market.”
Austin Groover
Austin Groover knew he wanted to be an engineer when he was in high school. He just wasn’t sure which path he wanted to take. “Someone suggested petroleum engineering, so I decided to give it a try—with the mindset that I could always switch to another discipline if it wasn’t the right fit,” he says. “I never switched, and here I am. It turned out to be the right choice.”
Basel Murad
In 2017, Basel Murad and his team walked into the offices of a leading Permian Basin producer to present a bold vision: the Permian needed a new long-haul crude pipeline and one that terminated in a new market like Corpus Christi, Texas. Facing a room of skeptical executives, they made their case. Over the next two years, they navigated a maze of commercial negotiations, financing hurdles and construction challenges. By 2019, the pipeline was successfully commissioned. “It was a major achievement and a testament to a small team’s persistence and vision,” Murad says. “From the initial pitch to first flows, that project remains one of the more rewarding experiences of my career.”
Chase Machemehl
Chase Machemel joined the oil and gas industry almost by accident. He had graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and intended to go on to business school. He knew he wanted to work for a large company and Baker Hughes fit the bill. “I was initially enamored with the technical challenges and am grateful I was able to stay in the space after grad school,” he says.
Christopher Alfano
Christopher Alfano is in a hurry to change the world, or, at least, the energy industry. Just five years out of college, he launched 360 Energy, his second startup. His company develops mobile gas offtake solutions that eliminate flaring and monetize previously wasted natural gas by using it to power data centers to mine Bitcoin. “I saw an opportunity to apply a new technology to aging, uneconomic upstream natural gas assets,” he says. “If successful, this technology had the potential to reshape overlooked assets through a new market for gas monetization.”
Clay Brett
It can be humbling for a fast-riser to suddenly learn just how much more there is to learn. For Clay Brett, it was both humbling and a challenge to tackle with gusto. “The leadership track at Millennial Energy Partners both required and allowed me to dig deep into financial and technical oil and gas analysis alongside a team of highly talented colleagues, who trained me,” he said. “I learned that the level of expertise required for any leadership role on the investment side required the same level of rigor I had developed over nine years of training as an attorney.”
Dana Meadows
Dana Meadows learned a valuable lesson about her ability to achieve a “nearly impossible” goal of implementing a global inventory control system. To complete the assignment of reducing inventory by almost 30%, she collaborated with the company’s business initiatives team to write a less-is-more success story. “Through strategic planning and teamwork, we not only hit our target but also laid the groundwork for more efficient operations moving forward,” she says.
Daniel Fan
Like many, Daniel Fan’s understanding of the industry and its complexities was shaped by reading “The Prize” by Daniel Yergin. “What captivated me most was the industry’s unique nature,” he says. “Its cyclical dynamics, influenced by a multitude of factors, present both challenges and opportunities. Early in my career as a management consultant, I witnessed how poor decisions could lead to significant setbacks, while strategic thinking and resilience could unlock remarkable business potential.”
Ellen Conley
Ellen Conley’s education didn’t end when she graduated law school. “Haynes Boone is unique in that many of the attorneys I have been working with over the past (almost) 10 years have also spent their entire careers at the firm. My success is largely the result of the training I received from these ‘lifers,’ and I am fortunate to have joined the ranks to teach the next wave of oil and gas attorneys.” Now a partner at Haynes Boone, she has served as an adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law in Houston teaching the course “Transactional Skills – Oil & Gas.”
Emily Mills
Emily Mills had never worked in the LNG sector prior to joining Kimmeridge. Today, she oversees Kimmeridge’s infrastructure investments, including Commonwealth LNG, an LNG export facility under development in Louisiana. “I spearhead Kimmeridge’s control investment in Commonwealth LNG and play a key role in negotiating with project partners and off-takers,” she says. “We are making excellent progress toward our vision of building a fully integrated provider of LNG from wellhead to water, and I am excited for what the future holds.”
Ewaen Woghiren
Ewaen Woghiren’s first oil and gas trial lasted three weeks and involved making a case to a jury using technical language and complex legal arguments. He was concerned that the jury would quickly lose interest due to the dry nature of the content. “I was pleasantly surprised to see that the jurors were attentive, taking notes and invested,” he says. “That trial showed me that even the average person who is not in the oil and gas industry can be captivated by how companies in the industry operate, if the information is presented properly.”
Forty Under 40 2025: Saddle Up, Future CEOs
As Hart Energy announces the Forty Under 40 Class of 2025, industry movers and observers from Preng & Associates, Sidley Austin and the Energy Workforce & Technology Council take note of the challenges facing the up-and-coming workforce and come to the same conclusion: for companies to succeed, employees must feel heard.
Garrett Martin
The chance to play a pivotal role in building, then successfully selling that oil and gas company, would be a career milestone for anyone. It certainly was for Garrett Martin, though he expected it would happen later in his career, if ever. “The accelerated success was driven by the exceptional drive, focus and camaraderie of our team at Double Eagle,” he says. “We are fortunate to have a world-class land team paired up with an equally talented technical and operational staff. Great people with great assets typically create a great outcome.”
Greg McKee
Greg McKee’s proudest professional achievement is leading a supply chain team that he built from the ground up. With a focus on integrating the supply chain with the company’s sales and operations, along with strategic hiring, he created a team-focused culture that emphasizes trust, open communication and ownership over roles and shared goals. “People are the most important part of any organization, and getting to work side by side with an amazing team that I had a hand in creating is what makes me most proud.”
Harrison Holmes
Harrison Holmes’ short-term goal is to continue the success that he and the team at Vaquero Midstream have achieved. But his long-term goal is broader: find like-minded individuals to work together on creating long-term value. “There is so much technical expertise needed in our industry, but people really do make the difference in failure or success,” he says.
Hayden McEntire
“Be extremely curious and seek to understand,” Hayden McEntire advises young professionals who want to succeed in their careers at a high level. “The best thing you can do in your career is to learn everything around you; the second-best thing is to be a yes person.” Seek to understand every part of the process and other’s perspectives. “If you put yourself in people’s shoes, stretch yourself to be a student of processes, decisions and operations as much as you can, you will be far more prepared when the day comes for you to lead.”
Ian Costello
In 2017, Ian Costello and four ambitious colleagues piled into a rented Jeep Compass and drove to New York City, chasing funding for their startup, Infinity Natural Resources. They didn’t land a deal that day, but it marked a turning point. “It signified the moment we dropped everything to chase what was only a dream at the time,” he recalls. “In hindsight, we were foolish to risk it all, but success wasn’t just a possibility once we got in that vehicle—it was a commitment we made to each other.” Eight years later, the same team returned to New York City to ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange following a $1.3 billion IPO, making Infinity Natural Resources the only West Virginia-based company listed on the NYSE.
Jameson Farrell
In 1919, Jameson Farrell’s great grandfather blocked up and permitted the first University Lands leases in the Permian Basin, which prompted the drilling of the Santa Rita #1 in Reagan County that ignited the Permian Basin oil boom. Decades later and just a few years into his career, Farrell enjoyed a full-circle moment when he became the production engineer over that field. “Although the well had long since been plugged, it was a fun experience to have exposure to such industry and family history,” he says.
Jared Brady
“From a young age, I knew I wanted to be an engineer,” says Jared Brady. “Growing up in southern Oklahoma, oil and gas was everywhere—we had a pumping unit on our school playground, and summers were spent working in the oil patch.” Some of his earliest memories are of sitting in his father’s truck, watching his company move drilling rigs. Initially, though, he resisted the petroleum path in favor of a career in aviation. The oil patch would win out, however. “The influential work of my father and brother in the oil industry, along with their guidance, ultimately motivated me to pursue a degree in petroleum engineering.”
Jeffrey Stewart
Jeff Stewart loves swimming in the energy data ocean. “We use time series data, GIS/spatial data, geologic data, regulatory and land data, etc. to try to arrive at our best estimates for how a field’s life will unfold,” he says. “There is a wealth of data in the public domain that can help inform our analysis. If you are curious, there is always something new to learn that will benefit your career and the company you are at.”
Jere Thompson
Jere Thompson’s team grabbed some of the spotlight away from Patrick Mahomes’ team on Super Bowl Sunday 2024. That was the day Thompson’s Diamondback Energy signed a $26 billion merger with Endeavor Energy, a deal that a few months earlier seemed as improbable as the Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime victory. When the Wall Street Journal sent out an e-blast, “I’ll never forget seeing that alert come across everyone’s phones, which oddly made everything feel real,” he says. “The deal is such a huge testament to all facets of our organization, who worked tirelessly to not only get the deal across the finish line but also seamlessly integrate such a large asset.”
Jeremy Knop
Epic events have propelled Jeremy Knop’s life and career. The Global Financial Crisis shut the door on the investment banking career he had envisioned for himself, but it also steered him toward the nascent shale boom, which opened a much bigger door. “Being from Texas, I had family roots in the energy business, and with the shale boom kicking off, getting a job in Houston as a banker was a lot easier than New York! I ended up in Houston beginning in 2010, then shale exploded, deals were getting done every week and capital poured into the industry. I loved the excitement of the industry during that growth phase, seeing the land grab and new technology unlock riches across the country.”
John Krenger
Persistence and consistency, as energy banker John Krenger has learned, pay off. Fresh out of college in 2008, he landed a job with BOK Financial despite the ongoing global financial crisis. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he and his team helped clients secure Paycheck Protection Program loans. But one of his proudest moments as a banker was when his team was able to close a loan with a company after calling on its leadership for more than six years. “We partnered with the company over the next 15 months on frequent loan increases due to the success they were having in the field. This close partnership was helpful, albeit a small part, in aiding their ability to sell their assets, which was a great result for the company and its investors.”
Lianne Armpriester
Lianne Armpriester always preferred math, science and the challenge of solving complex problems. That love of problem-solving has translated into a breadth of experience in her career in the oil and gas industry, where she “learned early that sometimes the least defined path can be the most rewarding. It gives you the opportunity to grow yourself and grow others.” Supporting the development of others is a passion of hers, just as others have invested in her development along the way. Ampriester believes “if you frame each role as a chance to learn as much as you can, expand your knowledge and network, and deliver consistently and with excellence, then the next door will open.”
Maggi Young
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Maggi Young never envisioned a career in oil and gas. But, as her undergraduate and graduate studies led her to focus on environmental policy, the industry presented opportunities and challenges to foster a career in one of our country’s most meaningful sectors. Now, as a proud American energy worker, she navigates policy decisions, responsibly sourced gas certifications and sustainability communications as an industry advocate. Following a busy year that included a company merger and integration, she’s focused on the future.
Marcelo Sada Zuazua
A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Marcelo Sada Zuazua navigated one of the most critical and demanding moments in his career when he relocated from Mexico to the U.S. with his family. At the time, he was growing a Latin America-focused investment presence within a U.S.-based firm. “Balancing the personal aspects of an international move with the professional responsibility of building regional coverage, sourcing opportunities and managing teams across borders required resilience, focus and adaptability,” he says. “It pushed me to evolve both as a leader and as an operator, and it reinforced the importance of long-term commitment, clear communication and cultural fluency in building sustainable cross-border platforms.”
Michael Edmonds
Early in his career, Michael Edmonds and a colleague led the evaluation and due diligence on a major transaction, hitting the road to evaluate equipment his company was acquiring. They traveled from New York through Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, visiting numerous facilities and counting thousands of parts as they crossed the Appalachian countryside. “It remains one of the most memorable experiences of my career,” he says. “Not just for the travel, but for the lasting lesson it taught me: every transaction demands thoroughness, precision and a commitment to doing it right.”
Mike Brown
Mike Brown struggles with the idea of personal achievements in a team-oriented industry like oil and gas. Still, he admits that he has accomplished things that are worthy of pride. “One is being someone that has been able to step into any role that the company needs, from operations, to field and corporate planning, to asset valuations and leadership,” he says. “The second is directly impacting Chord’s inventory outlook, by the completions team figuring out ways to fully clean out 3-mile and now 4-mile laterals on a consistent and cost-effective basis.”
Payvand Fazel
In 2021, as leader of the Williams Cos. marketing organization, Payvand Fazel was tapped to co-lead the integration of a major trading and marketing company that had been acquired with the Williams legacy team. “Bringing two companies with two separate cultures together while simultaneously merging systems and processes without impacting the day-to-day business operations is no small feat,” he says. On top of that, his coleader was someone he had only recently met. “Building a strong and open relationship with him from the beginning is what enabled us both to have success in merging the two organizations quickly and effectively.”
Pete Williams
Early in his career, Pete Williams was involved in multiple private company divestitures and public merger transactions, working up close with management teams and CEOs as they navigated watershed moments in the history of their companies. “I took a lot away from watching some of the top executives in our industry guide their organizations through such critical situations, and learned a great deal about leadership, confident decision-making and ultimate accountability from these situations,” he says. “Similarly, having been a part of two significant successful sale processes on the principal side has been extremely memorable for me, as well.”
Raki Sahai
Raki Sahai was seemingly born to do this work. “As a second-generation oil and gas worker, pursuing a career in this industry felt like a natural path,” he says. Beyond his family’s connection, it was the industry’s emphasis on efficient and cost-effective extraction that resulted in technological advancements that piqued his interest. “From working on the rigs in Australia’s outback, drilling unconventional tight sandstone and coal bed methane reservoirs in 2005, to developing shale reservoirs in the Appalachian Basin in 2025, it has been a challenging but very rewarding career.”
Robert Mills
In 2023, Robert Mills was airlifted to Diamond Offshore’s Ocean BlackLion drillship, which was operating in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. “If you ever get the opportunity to visit a deepwater rig, do so,” he advises. “I remain astounded by the miracle of modern engineering that is deepwater development. If you want to be impressed by our industry, spend a day in the deep water.”
Rosemary Ciletti
Rosemary Ciletti found it tough, at a key point in her career, to leave her team and her company to pursue a new opportunity and be closer to family. Having multiple managers express how much they valued her and wanted her to stay didn’t make it any easier. “While it did make it even harder to say goodbye, it also gave me the confidence to face the challenge of this large career move I was making because it validated that my hard work does pay off and get appreciated,” she says. “I still love and admire that whole team, and I make sure to tell them what an impact they made in my life every chance I get!”
Ross Stuart
Ross Stuart, a third-generation oil and gas professional, credits his father, Randy, for modeling work ethic and passion for the industry that left a lasting impression. “These lessons have stayed with me to this day and I am deeply grateful for the foundation he provided,” he says. “His guidance and support have been instrumental in shaping my career and personal growth.”
Stacy Goldstein Cartier
Stacy Goldstein Cartier grew up outside of Houston, where the oil and gas industry dominates the economic landscape. But it was an internship as a landman at Occidental Petroleum that sparked her interest in the industry. “I was fascinated that the coordinates in these legal descriptions, within 640-acre sections, underpinned the tremendous amount of resource that the company owned, and in turn, powered our economy,” she says. “Then I wanted to step it up to be a part of how the transactions happened and were financed.”
Steven Davidson
Steven Davidson has made a career—in the military, government and private sector—of being the guy who can figure out how to get things done. It’s a handy skill to have at a company that focuses on infrastructure development. “If you look back, you’d find that, historically, the primary constraints on growth were often technological limitations or geologic uncertainty,” he says. “Today, however, the barriers to business almost certainly lie in community opposition.” The mission has changed, and success will come to companies who can “get projects done with the community, rather than in spite of it.”
Vianey Hollis
Vianey Hollis began her career in public accounting, where she worked with several upstream oil and gas operators that were clients of her firm. “The industry’s energy, complexity and constant evolution kept me interested,” she says. When a position became available with Athlon Energy, she jumped at the opportunity to join the industry that had caught her attention. Now with Brazos Midstream, Hollis finds herself pushed to excel outside of her comfort zone into broader financial roles. “Learning more of the operational and commercial sides of the business has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding.”