Although he came from a family with a background in the oil and gas market, Chris Cahill wasn’t always sure that was the route he wanted to go.

Both parents were employees of Dow Well Services, so Cahill moved from Colorado to Texas at age 14. While attending the University of Texas at Austin, he worked as an independent consultant where he performed general hardware and software support, manufactured computers and assisted system administration for a network.

He finished his education at St. Edwards University in Austin, graduating in 2005 with a bachelor’s in computer information science and a bachelor’s of business in accounting. While at college, he also had experience as a teaching assistant in economics and accounting.

Following graduation, Cahill worked as a staff accountant with Richardson, Texas-based Fossil Inc. before moving into the field of auditing at OCM & Co. After a three-year stint there, Cahill became an auditor for Chicago-based Grant Thornton LLP. There, he first became interested in the oil and gas business, auditing several mid-sized E&Ps.

In 2008, Cahill joined Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Calyx Energy LLC, a recent start-up focused on the Midcontinent. He is now a financial analyst for Calyx, applying his accounting and economic skills with the company as it weighs the costs and benefits of various deals.

Cahill chatted with Oil and Gas Investor about the opportunities and challenges of working at a start-up, the benefits of being backed by a private-equity firm and how teaching and learning can play a part in one’s career.

Investor What were some highlights of working at Grant Thornton?

Cahill A combination of the ability to get into the oil and gas business, and also, the caliber of people. When I joined the Houston office, I had the opportunity to work with the subset of the audit department that focuses on oil and gas. The most significant take-away was the level of exposure that was offered.

Investor What caused you to change from working with technology and teaching to joining an E&P?

Cahill I got to audit a few mid-sized E&Ps at Grant Thornton, and everything seemed to make sense. It seemed like the industry fit me very well, and vice versa.

Investor What is the most interesting aspect of working at Calyx?

Cahill I get to work directly with Jim Stephenson, our CFO, who has tons of experience. I get a chance to use my accounting and technology backgrounds to build all sorts of forecasting tools and a variety of spreadsheets. The best thing I get to do is practice developing the synergy between the accounting and technology experience I have.

Investor How is the current market affecting Calyx?

Cahill Pretty much like anybody else. The one thing different for us is that we’re backed by Kayne Anderson, and they’re not very controlling. They’re not telling us we need to sell XYZ or that we need to pull the ripcord… They’re very good about letting us decide our own fate.

On top of that, they’re one of the few private-equity firms able to raise a few billion dollars on a regular basis, so they’re not telling us to stop. Everyone else’s problem is our opportunity.

Investor What do you like most about your job?

Cahill The people and the opportunity. I’m 27, the youngest person at my company by about 20 years. It’s interesting to work with all the veterans. They are people who have forgotten more about the industry than I know. Initially it was pretty intimidating, but they’re good about sharing their knowledge. Because we’re so small, I get a chance to work with the land department and accounting, to do some M&A work as well as engineering.

Investor Who was a good professional mentor and what advice did they give you?

Cahill The best one was my accounting professor, Dr. Harris at SEU, for whom I was a teaching assistant for a while. He took a vested interest in me and helped me find my first financial accounting job. The best advice he gave me was that if you can’t teach something, you probably don’t know it.

Investor Where do you see yourself in five years?

Cahill Hopefully with this same management team, doing the same thing again. Maybe I can get into a position that requires a little more leadership.

Investor How do you spend your free time?

Cahill I spend a lot of time with my family and girlfriend and I play the viola. I also study jujitsu.

Investor Given the cyclical nature of this business, what would you advise fellow young people?

Cahill Listen to the veterans of this industry and learn to distill their knowledge into the things you can apply today. Secondly, learn and teach as much as you can. Learning is the only way you’ll be able to survive in this or any other industry, and teaching is the best way to demonstrate the lessons you’ve learned.

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