Tony Kroschewsky
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What does it take to be a good leader in the oil and gas industry? “You must have an obsession for winning,” says Tony Kroschewsky. “In our industry, we face an assortment of challenges, not to mention volatile commodity prices… you must know how to make money and lead your organization in that manner.” Kroschewsky started winning from the start, graduating college just as the shale business was starting its boom. “I knew I wanted to be in a position to accelerate my career path, starting in energy investment banking in Houston was the logical choice. There isn’t an industry that has better people than the oil and gas industry, and because of that, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Which of your professional achievements are you most proud?
Along each stop in my career, I’ve been fortunate to be on teams where we have generated significant value for our stakeholders. We had tremendous success in the recapitalization of Oil Patch Group with SCF Partners, and numerous years (in a very tough period for oil and gas equities) of double-digit returns at Brenham Capital with over $1 billion of capital under management. However, I am most proud of the team we’ve assembled at Merit Advisors and what we’ve been able to accomplish for our clients. Over the last three years, we’ve reduced our clients’ cash operating costs by over half a billion dollars. Our clients have been able to reinvest this capital back into their businesses and enhance returns for their equity holders.
Which transformations do you think the industry must undertake for it to thrive in the future?
Global demand for energy and power will only continue to grow. As leaders, we need to educate the world around us on the various options to solve for that. In the U.S., we collectively lack the fundamental understanding of what it takes to power our homes and businesses. We quickly forget that every major recession since WWII was preceded by high energy prices. If we could take the politics out of it and focus on human flourishment, we could be working together to continue to develop the safest, cleanest and most reliable source of energy on the planet.
What keeps you motivated and passionate about working in the oil and gas industry?
As the world has developed, the key ingredient for economic growth and human flourishment has been access to cheap and reliable energy. I believe our industry is committed to delivering this in the cleanest and safest way possible. Oil and natural gas will be the essential part of the energy value chain for decades to come, and getting to work toward the mission of delivering this cheap, safe, and reliable energy stream to the world with incredibly talented colleagues, clients and friends is a dream come true.
What advice would you give other young professionals?
Focus on what it takes to be successful today and be intentional about your future. People are the most important part of anything you do, so take care of your family, friends, colleagues and employees, because you can’t do much in life without them.
Who is/are your mentor(s)? What is the most valuable advice they have given you?
I’m extremely fortunate in that I get to work with Will Presson and John Schmitz every day. Both set an exceptional example personally and professionally. They treat people right, work harder than anyone I know and know how to create value. Earlier in my career, Gabe Urban taught me the fundamentals of discipline and visibility in an operating business. We remain great friends today.
Take a look at the rest of the Forty Under 40 2024 winners.
