DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Aethon Energy Operating LLC announced the appointment of Andrea Wescott Passman as Chief Operating Officer, Kang Chen as Chief Information Officer, and Kat Lyles as General Counsel. Preston Phillips, Senior Vice President, A&D and Commercial, has also been promoted to Chief Commercial Officer.
“We are thrilled to welcome Andrea, Kang and Kat to our team, and to elevate Preston in recognition of his significant contributions to Aethon over more than 20 years,” said Albert Huddleston, Chief Executive Officer and Partner at Aethon. “The complementary and diverse expertise of our growing leadership team will continue to be a driving factor in our success, and I look forward to collaborating with our newest colleagues as we work to increase the scale of our business together.”
“Our talented team is the heart of our success at Aethon, and I’m excited to partner with Andrea, Kang, Kat and Preston in continuing to create value for our stakeholders as both an investor and operator,” said Gordon Huddleston, President and Partner at Aethon. “Aethon is well-positioned to play a more significant role in accelerating the energy transition, and I am excited to partner with our growing leadership team in delivering our goal of net-zero natural gas from wellhead to electron.”
About Andrea Wescott Passman, Chief Operating Officer
Ms. Passman has 25 years of development and operations leadership experience in the oil and gas industry, most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer of Caerus Oil and Gas. Prior to Caerus, she served in engineering and operational leadership roles at publicly traded CNX for five years, most recently as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Operations. Earlier in her career, she held planning and project management roles at Greenshale Energy and Halliburton. She holds an MBA from the University of Denver and a B.S. in petroleum engineering from Colorado School of Mines.
About Kang Chen, Chief Information Officer
Mr. Chen brings more than two and a half decades of strategic information, technology and digital experience to Aethon, including more than 20 years in the energy and chemical industries. He previously served as Manager of Digital and IT for ConocoPhillips Lower 48, which he joined through its acquisition of Concho Resources as Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Prior to Concho, Kang held multiple leadership roles at LyondellBasell and Deloitte. Mr. Chen holds a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from Boston University, a Master’s degree in Finance from Suffolk University and a B.S. in Finance from Tianjin University of Finance and Economics.
About Kat Lyles, General Counsel
Ms. Lyles has 15 years of experience as corporate, tax and legal counsel, including over nine years in the oil and gas sector. Prior to joining Aethon, she was Assistant General Counsel and Regulatory Manager at Merit Energy Company, where she held several roles leading internal legal and compliance efforts. Ms. Lyles received a B.S. degree from New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, a J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, and a LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and serves as Sponsorship and Scholarship Chair for the Energy Law Section of the Dallas Bar Association.
About Preston Phillips, Chief Commercial Officer
Mr. Phillips has more than 20 years of acquisitions, divestitures and development experience in the oil and gas industry. Since joining Aethon in 2002, he has held leadership roles of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions & Divestitures and Commercial. Prior to Aethon, he worked in marketing and sales for Texas Instruments. Mr. Phillips holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University.
About Aethon Energy
Aethon Energy is a private investment firm that manages and develops closed-end funds that are focused on acquiring, operating, and developing onshore energy assets across North America. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Aethon has a 30-plus year track record of generating attractive returns for its fund investors over multiple commodity price cycles. Aethon’s vertically integrated strategy and large-scale development provide capital efficient growth, combined with disciplined risk management to support cash flow assurance. Today, Aethon is a leading, low-emission operator and one of the largest private natural gas producers in the U.S. Please visit www.AethonEnergy.com for more information.
