It is our pleasure to introduce the world's most experienced team of energy-specialist executive search consultants.
Our clients know firsthand that having the very best people in the most critical positions is a prerequisite for success. That is why Preng & Associates has assembled a world-class team of highly experienced executive search consultants who bring relationships, know-how and market insight to our clients across every sector of the global energy industry.
We are proud to introduce our team. These are the people who can give your company an important competitive edge to leadership recruiting.
- David E. Preng, Founder and President
David E. Preng has been President and CEO of Preng & Associates since its inception in 1980. Previously, he spent six years in the executive search industry with two international and one national search firm. He has worked on over 1500 energy-related searches throughout the world ranging from board and senior executive to managerial and senior technical positions. His industry experience includes financial, managerial and executive positions with Shell Oil, Litton Industries and Southwest Industries. Mr. Preng was a Director of Remington Oil and Gas (Chairman of the Compensation Committee) from 1997-2006. He currently serves as a Board Member of the National Association of Corporate Directors-Houston Chapter, a Director of Community National Bank, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in London, and a Director of Cal Dive International. He is a member of several international technical and business organizations and has served three three-year terms as a Director of the British American Business Council and was its President in 1999 and 2000.
Mr. Preng holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Marquette University and a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University.
Contact David:
Email: dpreng@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2601
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 Houston
- Charles L. Carpenter, Practice Leader
Charles L. Carpenter directs the global Energy Services and Supply practice for Preng & Associates. He has over 25 years of management experience in engineering, manufacturing, drilling, marine services, and operating and maintenance contracting. He has lived and worked overseas and has recruited personnel at all levels in every continent.
Prior to joining Preng & Associates, he was President of Axsia Serck Baker and a Director of Axsia Group, a fluids processing technology group of companies engaged in the design and construction of oil, gas, and water treatment systems. His industry experience also includes senior financial and managerial positions with Enserch Corporation, Baker Hughes, Inc. and Ensco International Inc. Mr. Carpenter holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management and Finance from the University of Houston and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Contact Charlie:
Email: ccarpenter@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2610
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 - Ralph W. Stevens, Practice Leader
Ralph W. Stevens has been a consultant of Preng & Associates since 1997. He has managed both domestic and international searches spanning multiple functions in the exploration & production, refining & marketing, gas processing & transmission and petrochemical sectors of the energy industry.
Prior to joining Preng & Associates, he was Senior Vice President of Human Resources for BHP Petroleum in Melbourne, Australia. Until its acquisition by BHPP, Mr. Stevens held the position of Vice President Human Resources for Hamilton Oil Corporation. He began his career with GE where he held increasingly responsible human resource positions for several business units, the final assignment being Manager, Human Resources for GE's oil & gas subsidiary, Ladd Petroleum Corporation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York.
Contact Ralph:
Email: rstevens@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2613
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 - Laura Preng, Consultant
Laura Preng joined Preng & Associates in 2011 after working several years as a recruiter for another energy recruiting firm and has led engagements in the upstream, downstream, midstream, and service and equipment sectors. Prior to entering the search industry, she spent more than twelve years honing her interviewing skills as a television news reporter and anchor for the CBS affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi, and the NBC affiliate in Nashville, Tennessee. As a reporter, Ms. Preng covered politics and breaking news stories and was recognized by the Associated Press with a number of awards, including best investigative and spot news. Ms. Preng attended the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in New York where she graduated with honors in Broadcast Journalism.
Contact Laura:
Email: lpreng@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2617
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 - Stephen M. Preng, Consultant
Stephen M. Preng began his recruiting career with Preng & Associates and one of its affiliates in 2002. Over the past eight years he has had a broad focus in the upstream and oilfield services and equipment sectors. Prior to joining Preng & Associates, Mr. Preng spent one year in securities trading after earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Texas.
Contact Stephen:
Email: spreng@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2655
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 - Chris Reinsvold, Consultant
Chris Reinsvold has over 25 years of management experience in the energy industry, primarily in upstream oil & gas and the oilfield equipment and services sectors. He has held senior positions in corporate strategy, operations, marketing and product management. Chris has worked in both U.S. and overseas locations for such companies as Shell, Baker Hughes, Smith International, IHS, CERA, A.T. Kearney and most recently as the Chief Executive Officer of Decision Strategies.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin.
Contact Chris:
Email: creinsvold@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2643
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 - Leslie Sharp, Consultant
Leslie Sharp manages executive search assignments in the global energy and utilities industries. With a decade of executive search experience, she has successfully recruited leadership talent encompassing general management, operations, finance, sales and marketing, as well as key research and development expertise for both established and emerging organizations. Prior to entering executive search, Ms. Sharp led the customer development team for the California Power Exchange, the first of its kind electricity electronic trading platform. Previous experience includes energy consulting work with PricewaterhouseCoopers as well as marketing leadership with Felmont Oil Corporation (now Torch Energy Advisors), a mid-cap exploration and production company active in the Gulf of Mexico. She began her career as an engineer with Columbia Gas of New York.
Ms. Sharp holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The University of Toledo.
Contact Leslie:
Email: lsharp@preng.com
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Direct: +1 713 243 2669
Fax: +1 713 266 3070 London
- David Lloyd, Managing Director, EAME
David Lloyd is a Partner in the Firm and manages Preng’s London office. He has over 30 years in human resources management and executive search and selection which has been gained primarily in upstream oil and gas as well as the regulated utilities.
He previously served as a Board Director with a major UK search and advertized selection business where he was responsible for all consultancy operations and also led the company’s Energy and Utilities Practice.
Mr. Lloyd commenced his executive search and selection career in 1983 and has successfully handled assignments across the full range of technical, business support, and executive and management disciplines, including Board level searches for both Non-Executive Director and Chairman.
Prior to search, Mr. Lloyd held HR Management positions with Texaco, Gulf Oil, and General Electric. He has a Master of Science in Industrial Relations and a Diploma in Advanced Management Studies.
Contact David:
Email: dlloyd@preng.com
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Direct: +44 (0) 207 958 9445
Fax: +44 (0) 207 958 9448 - Vincent Pizzoni, Consultant
Vincent Pizzoni has 30 years of experience that he gained operating in international markets, primarily in the energy and chemicals industries. This includes time spent in regional general management, sales and marketing, technology and business development roles with Exxon Chemical, Suez, Nalco and V.Ships. In his last role with Nalco, Mr. Pizzoni was General Manager for Energy Chemicals (upstream and downstream) in Europe/Africa/Middle East/Former Soviet Union. At V.Ships, his previous role was Managing Director of Europe/Africa/Middle East/Asia responsible for providing technically qualified manpower in oil and gas. Mr. Pizzoni has a degree in Chemical Engineering and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers and Chartered Management Institute.
Contact Vince:
Email: vpizzoni@preng.com
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Direct: +44 (0) 207 958 9445
Fax: +44 (0) 207 958 9448 -
Tobin Lambert, Consultant
Tobin Lambert graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst and spent his early years as an officer in the British Army with whom he served in the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Central America. On leaving the service with the rank of Captain, he commenced his recruitment career in 1995. His subsequent 15 plus years energy sector recruiting experience includes time spent with both small boutique and global executive search firms, together with some 7 years successfully running his own energy and natural resources search business.
Mr. Lambert has handled senior level executive assignments for major oil and gas, utility, EPC & oil field services companies, as well as smaller AIM/TSX/ASX listed independent E&P businesses. He has also recruited within the renewables and mining sectors, successfully handling a variety of senior management level searches. He has worked on assignments across Europe, Eastern Europe, FSU & Central Asia as well as North America & Africa.
Mr. Lambert holds an M.A. in HR and is a Graduate Member of the UK's Chartered Institue of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Contact Tobin:
Email: tlambert@preng.com
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Direct: +44 (0) 207 958 9445
Fax: +44 (0) 207 958 9448
We are likewise delighted to introduce the members of our Preng & Associates Advisory Board. This small, talented panel of exceptional leaders gives us a depth of outside expertise across the full spectrum of the global energy industry. Our Advisory Board members give us further perspective into client issues, leadership needs and requirements as well as up to date intelligence on candidate qualifications. These energy industry leaders help us add value to the search process.
- Stephen D. Chesebro, Advisory Board
Stephen Chesebro' is Chairman of the Board of Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., an international independent oil and gas exploration company with principal operations in Venezuela and Russia. Mr. Chesebro' is also Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees.
Prior to joining the board at Harvest, Mr. Chesebro' was President and Chief Operating Officer of Pennzoil Company during 1997 and 1998, providing management oversight for all of the company's businesses including motor oil, refining, Jiffy Lube fast oil change centers, exploration and production. Mr. Chesebro' has also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of PennzEnergy, the upstream portion of Pennzoil that was split into upstream and downstream companies at the beginning of 1998, and then sold to Devon Energy late that year.
Mr. Chesebro' served over 32 years with Tenneco, where he retired in 1996 as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tenneco Energy, a $4 billion global energy company with 3,000 employees. During his tenure with Tenneco, Mr. Chesebro' held a broad range of executive positions, including Manager of Gulf of Mexico operations; Vice President of Corporate Development at Tenneco Inc.; Tenneco Oil Company Senior Vice President in charge of International and Gulf Coast exploration and production, business development, and marketing; President of Tenneco Gas Marketing; and then Chairman and CEO of Tenneco Energy. In 1988, Chesebro' managed one of the energy industry's largest divestitures with the $7.5 billion sale of Tenneco Oil Company, the corporation's exploration, production, refining, and marketing units.
Mr. Chesebro' has served on the executive committees of API, AGA, INGAA, Mid Continent Oil and Gas Association and IPAA. As a founding member of the Natural Gas Council and its Reliability Council, Mr. Chesebro led a successful industry effort that in 1994 led to the formation of the Gas Industry Standards Board, where he served as Chairman for the next three years. He is a registered Petroleum Engineer and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
A 1964 graduate of the Colorado School of Mines, Mr. Chesebro' was awarded the school's Distinguished Achievement Medal in 1991, and received his Honorary Doctorate from the institution in 1998. He currently serves on the school's Petroleum Engineering visiting committee. In 1994, Mr. Chesebro' was the first American awarded the H. E. Jones London Medal by the Institution of Gas Engineers, a British professional association.
hide bio - Raj K. Gupta, Advisory Board
Raj K. Gupta directs an independent management consulting practice and, since July 2007, has served as Chairman of Quetzal Energy, Inc., an independent Canadian oil and gas company. Also, Mr. Gupta is a Director of the Boards of Consol Energy and CNX Gas Corporation, both NYSE companies. From 2000 to December 2004, he served as a Member of the Board of Yukos Oil Company in Moscow, Russia. Mr. Gupta worked for 35 years and has held various management positions with Phillips Petroleum Company, an international integrated oil and gas company, now part of ConocoPhillips. While at Phillips, he served as Vice President of Strategic Planning managing the company's strategic planning, growth, and globalization efforts in South America, China, the Middle East, and the former Soviet Union. Mr. Gupta also served as a Board Director of Phillips Petroleum Resources Ltd., a Canadian subsidiary, and as Vice President of Phillips Petroleum International Ventures Corporation. He also held numerous executive and managerial positions throughout the company in information technology and financial management, as well as headed up the North America Partnership Operations and Worldwide Development for the company's Exploration and Production Group.
Mr. Gupta earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with Honors from Birla Engineering College in India and a Master degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from Kansas State University. He holds the distinction of being named a 1958-1961 Prime Minister Nehru and Industrial & Scientific Research Scholar.
hide bio - Arthur L. Smith, Advisory Board
Art has directed his attention to Triple Double Advisors, LLC, an investment advisory firm focusing on the energy sector. A member of IPAA, API, TIPRO, AIPN, IAEE and the CFA Society of Houston., Art currently serves on the Board of Directors of two public energy companies: Plains All American Pipeline, L.P., Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners, L.P and one non-profit board, Dress for Success® Houston. Art also serves on the Board of Visitors of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.
CFA (President, Triple Double Advisors, LLC) BA Duke University and MBA New York University Stern School of Business. After nine years on Wall Street in security research and corporate finance, Art acquired control of John S. Herold, Inc. in 1984. He remained active with Herold for more than twenty years until he divested his interest to IHS in August, 2007.
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