Kyle McQuire
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Kyle McQuire, who co-founded Peak 10 Energy in 2023, has an appreciation for the complexity of a company and how it should influence leadership. “You need to be able to synthesize information from many different sources and specialties to make decisions in strategic ways,” he says. “You cannot simply focus on the specific path that got you to where you are, whether it be finance, engineering, or accounting. As such, you have to build a strong team and trust their work and judgment while also build a culture that is comfortable with candid and constructive debate.” Also, knowing what to do when things go south, particularly with a new organization, is essential. “Everything never goes perfectly, especially when you’re going 100 mph. Recently we’ve had to answer for some of the things that haven’t gone right and I’ve ensured that the buck stops with me.”
How have you exercised leadership to help shape your company?
In this early stage of our company, we have many moving parts and many people contributing in various different ways. I have made sure to drive collaboration and transparent communication among different technical functions, consultants, financial partners, and board members. This includes encouraging junior team members to communicate points directly to financial partners. Additionally, taking responsibility for failures and giving credit for success is important.
What advice would you give other young professionals?
Learn as much as you can and work as hard as you can in your early career. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to fail. Also, make sure to dig through the well files and read the notes on the paper logs.
What keeps you motivated and passionate about working in the oil and gas industry?
The people who make it happen. The people in this industry are so gracious, smart and innovative. I am always encouraged by the interactions I have with colleagues hearing what they’re doing and how they’re advancing their part of our industry.
What are your long- and short-term career goals?
My long- and short-term goal is to build Peak 10 Energy into a long-term sustainable cash flow generating company. I want to grow it into a company that will withstand the inevitable economic cycles that we all know will come. Our team knows what that will take and we are doing the work to make that happen.
Which transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?
I think that there needs to be continued and potentially increased focus on domestic oil exploration. The biggest challenge I see to our current success is the known parent-child depletion risks in our unconventional plays. This may become an issue in the next five years or it could be in the next 15, but eventually we will need to replace these massive reserves that we’ve discovered over the last decade. Whether that’s testing deeper (or shallower) reservoirs in our existing basins or testing new concepts on the fringes of the existing plays, we should be searching for the next big thing(s).
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