Forty Under 40: Jonathon W. McCartney, Double Eagle

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Oklahoma City native Jon McCartney represents the fourth generation of his family to work in oil and gas. “My dad was a career company landman and, growing up, I enjoyed hearing what he was working on,” he says. “My parents, having been through the booms and busts, wanted me to have a backup plan, but by law school graduation I knew what I wanted to do.”

Which career milestone did you reach sooner than you had planned?
When I joined Double Eagle, many told me I was taking a big risk leaving an established law firm to join such a young company. So, when I started, I just hoped we could successfully monetize our first deal at some point. We reached that milestone in roughly eighteen months, which served to validate the decision I made to join Double Eagle.”

What is a unique aspect of your career?
“Working with much of the same team for 10 years. I’ve seen many of the members of the team grow in their professional and personal lives. I lost my mother in May, and, at the funeral, I looked up to see a large section of Double Eagle folks, almost the entire company. That made me proud of who of I work for and with.”

How have you exercised leadership to help shape your company?
“I subscribe to the servant leadership theory and enjoy helping others reach their full potential. Our team continually rises to heightened expectations. I also try to lead by example. Double Eagle’s success comes in part from making that extra effort—you cannot ask others to do so if you are not willing to do so yourself. I also believe that everything can be made into a process. The maturation of Double Eagle has been to implement processes that allow expediency and accuracy. There has to be room for deviation, but baseline processes are key.”

What or whom do you credit for helping you develop leadership abilities during your career?
“I would credit Cody Campbell. His door was always open and his efforts to grow as a leader and person of influence were always evident. I could also credit the entire team—specific colleagues have supported me and encouraged (pushed) me to elevate professionally and personally. I also read regularly on the subject.”

Who are your mentors?
I don’t have a traditional mentor, but I’m always observing and learning from those around me. My dad has been a major influence, specifically in terms of loyalty and work ethic. John Sellers is someone I’ve learned from professionally and personally. He showed me the value of relationships and, more recently, priorities. Honestly, there’s too many individuals in this industry to name that have taught me something along the way. 

What advice would you give other young professionals in the industry?
“The oil and gas business is constantly evolving, but I think it will always be very relational and results driven. So, you have to be able to work with others; that sounds much simpler than it is. In the transaction space you must listen and understand your counterparty’s position to find acceptable middle ground with your own group’s needs. The win-win is typically possible and often necessary.”  

What are your career goals?
“Near term, the team and I will continue to build this latest Double Eagle company. Looking further ahead, I’ll always try to keep growing in my abilities, but I’m going to try to achieve a better work-life balance to also grow as husband and father.”

Take a look at the rest of the Forty Under 40 2023 winners.