Preng & Associates Assists Pantheon Resources With CEO Search
February 24, 2025 – Houston-based Preng & Associates has assisted in the recruitment of Max Easley as the new CEO of Pantheon Resources plc succeeding Jay Cheatham. Mr. Easley will be appointed as a member of the Pantheon board of directors effective February 28, while Mr. Cheatham will continue to serve the company as a non-executive director for a period of handover to Mr. Easley. “We are delighted to welcome Max Easley as our new chief executive officer and as a member of the board of directors,” said David Hobbs, executive chairman of Pantheon Resources. “Pantheon will benefit from his more than 30 years of experience in the oil and natural gas industry, particularly his experience on Alaska’s North Slope and successful Permian and Montney developments. This deep industry expertise, coupled with his strategic judgment and performance track record make him the ideal candidate to execute upon Pantheon’s strategy. Under Max’s leadership, the company will be well positioned to shift from an exploration to a development and production company in short order.”
Mr. Easley brings over 30 years of experience as a highly respected energy executive, drawing on extensive domestic and international experience in the upstream industry. Over the course of his career, Mr. Easley has held executive rolls at BP, Apache Corporation and PETRONAS Canada.
Mr. Easley graduated from the University of Alaska in 1991 with a degree in petroleum engineering. Following his early days learning his trade as a petroleum engineer at Prudhoe Bay, he worked overseas for over a decade, primarily in the U.K. and Trinidad, in a variety of technical, financial and leadership roles before returning to Alaska as senior vice president of resource development for BP Alaska. Over the past decade, he has been a driving force in the capital efficient appraisal, development and production of unconventional resources both in the Permian Basin in Texas and the Montney in British Columbia.
“I appreciate the confidence the board of directors has shown in selecting me to lead Pantheon at this critical inflection point in the company’s history,” said Mr. Easley. “Jay and the team have done a fantastic job exploring, appraising and de-risking a material resource in a very advantaged location. I look forward to transitioning the company to development and production of these resources at pace for the benefit of both our shareholders, and the state of Alaska.”
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Pantheon Resources plc is an AIM listed oil & gas company focused on developing its 100 percent owned Ahpun and Kodiak fields located on State of Alaska land on the North Slope, onshore USA. Independently certified best estimate contingent recoverable resources attributable to these projects currently total c. 1.6 billion barrels of ANS crude and 6.6 Tcf (trillion cubic feet) of associated natural gas. The Company owns 100 percent working interest in c. 259,000 acres. Pantheon’s stated objective is to demonstrate sustainable market recognition of a value of $5-$10/bbl of recoverable resources by end 2028.
Serving the Energy Sector
Preng & Associates, founded in 1980, is the only retainer-based, international executive search firm specializing solely in the energy industry. The firm’s experience spans the entire energy value chain – from the well head to the wall socket. Its subsector verticals have specific expertise in oil and gas (upstream, midstream, and downstream), oilfield equipment and services, power and utilities, renewables, engineering and construction, and industrials. Preng & Associates has conducted more than 4,000 engagements for over 900 companies and placed individuals for board, executive management, and professional positions in 92 countries.
Preng & Associates Fills Senior Positions for Ring Energy
Preng & Associates has assisted in the recruitment of Phillip Feiner as the new vice president and general counsel and James Parr as executive vice president, exploration and geosciences at NYSE-traded Ring Energy Inc. in Woodlands, TX. David and Laura Preng led the assignment. With more than 25 years of energy industry experience, including with both public and private companies, Mr. Feiner is responsible for leading Ring’s legal and human resources efforts. “We are pleased to have Phillip join the company given his substantial background and industry experience,” said Paul McKinney, chairman of the board and CEO. “This role is key to the execution of our long-term strategy, and I – along with the rest of the team – look forward to working closely with Phillip as we continue to focus on maximizing the company’s cash flow, improving the balance sheet, and driving increased value for our stockholders.”
David Preng has been president and CEO of Preng & Associates since its inception in 1980. Previously, he spent six years in the executive search industry with two international and one national search firm. Mr. Preng has worked on over 2000 energy-related searches throughout the world ranging from board and senior executive to managerial and senior technical positions.
Laura Preng joined Preng & Associates in 2011 after working several years as a recruiter for another energy recruiting firm and has led engagements in the upstream, downstream, midstream, and service and equipment sectors. Prior to entering the search industry, she spent more than 12 years honing her interviewing skills as a television news reporter and anchor for the CBS affiliate in Jackson, Mississippi, and the NBC affiliate in Nashville, TN.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
