Houston Simmons

He was the third hire by investment banker Bobby Tudor, who was then working to expand his startup platform, Tudor Capital. Of course, the company went on to become Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. (TPH), where Simmons was the first investment banking analyst on staff. Today, he serves as CFO for all of Black Mountain Holdings’ entities. Since joining the company in 2016, Simmons has helped raise $1 billion in capital through multiple debt and equity capital offerings.

Career path: Simmons began his career at Credit Suisse’s global energy group, where he worked as an investment banking analyst.

In 2007, he joined TPH and helped build the business from the ground up.

“Our first office space was Bobby Tudor’s pool house,” Simmons recalls. “It took a lot of time and effort to build the franchise; I am proud of my contributions to TPH’s early years and I have enjoyed watching its continued success.”

Professional high: Some of Simmons’ greatest achievements—and challenges—unfolded at Black Mountain. He counts selling Black Mountain Oil and Gas to Marathon Oil Corp. to be a career highlight. He oversaw the $700 million sale.

Advice for young professionals: “Try to anticipate unique moments to showcase your skill set, then drop everything and work overtime to make sure you nail it.”