Jeff Brinlee

Career path: Joined the company in 2011 as director, business development, managing 60-plus rigs across the Anadarko Basin and coordinating construction of 500-plus miles of new pipeline ventures. Began career in oil and gas in 2003 as a gas marketing representative for Chesapeake Energy.

Synthesizing: Emphasized a culture of “inclusiveness, openness, trust and leadership” during the merger of Enogex Pipeline and CenterPoint Pipeline. “Leadership and a positive attitude were key areas that I chose to focus my efforts on as we reorganized the team and company from the top down.”

Learn to appreciate every day: “When I was in college, the Oklahoma State basketball team departed from Colorado heading back to Stillwater. Unfortunately, they never arrived in Oklahoma—the plane had crashed 40 miles outside of Denver in a snowstorm. My good friend, Nate Fleming, was on board. This event really changed my outlook on life. I try to live each moment to the fullest and take nothing for granted.”

Ongoing mission: “Reaching the role of vice president for Enable at the age of 35 was not something I had anticipated, but something I continually strived towards.” Feels this is directly attributable to an incredibly talented team and having phenomenal mentors along the way.

Reality vs. relationships: Believes downturns provide a dose of reality. “Learning to make the difficult choice and having to separate company vs. comrades and reality vs. relationships is extremely challenging.”

Listening and learning: Attributes success to “having unbelievable mentors who continually invested and taught me ‘sovereign leadership.’” Mentored by father, with more than 35 years of experience in the industry. Inspired by “an unbelievable man of faith,” Ramiro Rangel, senior vice president of Continental Resources.