Management & Board
Daniel Herz is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Falcon Minerals Corporation. He was named Chief Executive Officer of Falcon Minerals Corporation in 2018, has served as its President from its predecessor’s founding in 2016, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors since May 2020. Mr. Herz served as Chief Executive Officer of Titan Energy, LLC and its predecessor’s from 2015 until 2018 and serves on its Board of Directors. Mr. Herz also served as President of Atlas Growth Partners, L.P. and on its Board of Directors from its inception in 2013 until 2018. Mr. Herz served in executive capacities from 2004 until 2015 of Atlas Energy and Atlas Pipeline Partners, L.P. until their respective sales to Chevron Corporation and Targa Resources Corporation. Mr. Herz began his career as a financial analyst and then financial associate in the energy investment banking group at Banc of America Securities beginning in 1999. Mr. Herz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.
Bryan C. Gunderson has been our Chief Financial Officer since June 2019. Mr. Gunderson most recently served as Executive Vice President - Finance of Nine Point Energy, a private oil & gas exploration and production company, where he was responsible for corporate finance, budgeting and financial controls. Prior to Nine Point Energy, Mr. Gunderson served as Vice President of the Office of the CEO of Triangle Petroleum, a public oil and gas enterprise. Mr. Gunderson also previously served as an Associate in the Energy Financial Services division of General Electric and as a Financial Analyst in the Global Upstream division of Chevron. Mr. Gunderson received a Masters in Business Administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Bard College.
Stephen J. Pilatzke has been our Chief Accounting Officer since October 2018. Mr. Pilatzke most recently served as Chief Accounting Officer of Lightfoot Capital Partners, GP, LLC since January 2010. From 2013 through to its sale in 2017, Mr. Pilatzke was also Chief Accounting Officer of Arc Logistics Partners LP, a former public subsidiary of Lightfoot Capital in the refined products business. Prior to Lightfoot, Mr. Pilatzke served as Chief Financial Officer and Controller at Paramount BioSciences, a venture capital firm focused on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors, where he was responsible for all reporting for Paramount’s portfolio companies from 2005 to 2010. Mr. Pilatzke also served as a senior auditor at EisnerAmpner prior to Paramount. Mr. Pilatzke graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of New York.
Jeffrey F. Brotman hes been our Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since 2018. Mr. Brotman served as our Chief Financial Officer from August 2018 to June 2019. Mr. Brotman has also been Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Hepco Capital Management, LLC since its formation in September 2016. Hepco is a private investment firm that sponsors principal capital investments in diverse business sectors. Mr. Brotman was Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Resource America, Inc., formerly a publicly-traded specialized asset management company, until September 2016. Mr. Brotman joined Resource America in 2007, and while at Resource America also served as Executive Vice President of Resource Capital Corp. (NYSE: RSO), a publicly-traded real estate investment trust, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Primary Capital Mortgage, Director of Leaf Commercial Capital and sat on various investment committees across all product lines. Mr. Brotman was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Access to Money, Inc. (f/k/a TRM Corp.), one of the world’s largest non-bank ATM operators, from March 2006 to June 2007, and served as the Chairman of its Board of Directors from September 2006 through September 2008. Mr. Brotman was a co-founder, and served as Managing Member, of Ledgewood, PC, a Philadelphia based business law firm, from June 1992 to March 2006, and was of counsel until June 2007. Mr. Brotman was a Trustee of Resource Real Estate Diversified Income Fund from its inception in March 2013 until September 2016 and served as a Director of Turnaround Fund from its inception in 2003 until March 2006. Mr. Brotman has been an adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School since 1990, where he has taught courses in accounting and lending transactions. Mr. Brotman is also a Certified Public Accountant (currently inactive) and a licensed Real Estate Broker.
Michael J. Downs has been the Chief Operating Officer since February 2020, where he oversees the company’s royalty production, land administration, reservoir engineering and ongoing minerals acquisition efforts. Mr. Downs previously served as VP of Operations from October 2018 to January 2020. Prior to joining Falcon Minerals, Mr. Downs served as the VP of Operations at Titan Energy, LLC and its predecessor’s from April 2014 until September 2018, where he managed Titan’s Eagle Ford position and integrated over $2.2 billion of acquisitions into the company. From July 2011 until March 2014, Mr. Downs was Director, Strategic operations for Atlas Energy, LP. Prior to this, Mr. Downs was JV Coordinator for Atlas, responsible for managing a $1.7 billion joint venture in the Marcellus Shale between Atlas Energy, Inc and Reliance Industries of India. Mr. Downs graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting.
Irene M. Deck has been Vice President of Land of Falcon Minerals since December 2018. Prior to joining the Falcon Minerals, Ms. Deck was responsible for acquisition and divestment activities, purchase and sale contract negotiation, and leadership of ongoing land management activities, including positions in the Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and Utica areas for Riverbend Oil and Gas. Ms. Deck has 25+ years of experience in the oil and gas industry with Amoco/BP, Altura Energy and Occidental Petroleum. She attended University of New Orleans with studies in Business Administration.
Austin D. Frey has been the Vice President of Reservoir Engineering since October 2018. From 2014 – 2018 Mr. Frey served as Senior Staff Reservoir Engineer for Viper Energy Partners, where he managed over $1bn in mineral right acquisitions in the Permian and Eagle Ford. Prior to Viper, Mr. Frey was a Reservoir Engineer for Pioneer Natural Resources, where his last two years there he worked in the Business Development group focused on acquisition and divestitures across various shale and conventional plays in the Lower 48. Prior to working in the business development group, Mr. Frey spent 5 years in various engineering roles of increasing responsibility working Pioneer’s Permian asset. Mr. Frey graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering.
William D. Anderson, PE has been a Director since July 2018. Mr. Anderson is the founding member and Managing Partner of Anderson King Energy Consultants, LLC (“AK”) and has been since 2012. In 2005 and prior to the formation of AK, Mr. Anderson formed Anderson O&G, Inc. (“AOG”), a boutique energy sector advisory and consulting business oriented towards acquisition and divestiture activities. Prior to forming AOG, Mr. Anderson served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Wynn-Crosby Energy, Inc. Mr. Anderson is a registered petroleum engineer and is a former Senior Vice President and Partner of Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. At Netherland Sewell he served as team leader for major projects in the Mid-Continent, Permian, North & South Louisiana, and South Texas basins, as well as for projects in Europe, SE Asia, and Africa. Prior to joining Netherland Sewell in 1983, Mr. Anderson held several positions with Exxon Company U.S.A. including Supervising Reservoir Engineer managing five large offshore fields. Mr. Anderson received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Connecticut, an M.S. in civil engineering from Columbia University and a Master of Engineering in Petroleum Engineering from Tulane University.
Jonathan R. Hamilton has been a director since 2018. Mr. Hamilton is a Senior Associate in the Private Equity Group at Blackstone. Since joining Blackstone in October 2014, Mr. Hamilton has been involved with Blackstone’s investments in Beacon Offshore Energy, Kosmos Energy, LLOG Bluewater, Royal Resources, and Primexx Energy Partners, among others. From July 2012 until September 2014, Mr. Hamilton worked at J.P. Morgan Securities where he focused on mergers, acquisitions and financing advisory to oil and gas companies.
Alan J. Hirshberg has been a director since April 2019. Mr. Hirshberg has worked with Blackstone as a Senior Advisor since January 2019. He joined ConocoPhillips in 2010 as its Senior Vice President, Planning and Strategy, and retired in January 2019 as its Executive Vice President, Production, Drilling and Projects, a position he held since April 2016. In this role, he had responsibility for ConocoPhillips’ worldwide operations, as well as supply chain, aviation, marine, major projects and engineering functions. Prior to joining ConocoPhillips, Mr. Hirshberg worked at Exxon and ExxonMobil for 27 years, serving in various senior leadership positions in upstream research, production operations, major projects and strategic planning. Mr. Hirshberg earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Rice University.
Adam M. Jenkins has been a director since August 2018. Mr. Jenkins is a Managing Director in the Private Equity Group at Blackstone. Since joining Blackstone in July 2013, Mr. Jenkins has been involved with Blackstone’s investments in Beacon Offshore Energy, Kosmos Energy, LLOG Bluewater, Royal Resources, Siccar Point Energy, and Vine Oil & Gas, among others. From August 2011 until June 2013, Mr. Jenkins was an Associate at WL Ross & Co. From July 2006 until July 2008, he worked at Lazard, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions advisory to consumer goods companies. He is a member of the New York State Bar.
Steven R. Jones has been a director since October 2017. Mr. Jones is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of WaterBridge Resources LLC, a privately held company focused on building and operating water pipelines and related infrastructure to serve oil and gas producers. From November 2016 to March 2018, Mr. Jones was the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Core Midstream, a venture-stage energy company focused on acquiring and developing companies and projects engaged in midstream services for natural gas and crude oil producers. From February 2014 to October 2016, he founded and served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PennTex Midstream Partners, a former Nasdaq listed limited partnership focused on owning, operating, acquiring and developing midstream energy infrastructure assets in North America. Prior to that, from March 2008 to January 2014, Mr. Jones served as the Managing Director and Head of Midstream Investment Banking of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Company, an integrated investment and merchant bank providing high quality advice and services to the energy industry. In addition, from June 2004 to March 2008, he served as Vice President, Global Natural Resources of Lehman Brothers, Inc., a global financial services firm. Prior to that, from June 2000 to June 2004, Mr. Jones served as Director of Corporate Development of El Paso Corporation, a provider of natural gas and related energy products.
Eric Liaw has been a director since April 2019. Mr. Liaw is a Senior Managing Director in the Private Equity Group at Blackstone. Since joining Blackstone in November 2014, Mr. Liaw has been involved with Blackstone’s investments in EagleClaw Midstream, Guidon Energy, Huntley & Huntley, Jetta Energy Permian, Primexx Energy Partners, Rock Ridge Royalty, and Royal Resources And Ulterra Drilling Technologies, among others. From August 2008 until August 2014, Mr. Liaw was a Principal at TPG Capital, where he evaluated and executed investment opportunities in the energy sector. From July 2004 to July 2006, Mr. Liaw was an associate at Bain Capital, where he focused on private equity investments in a wide range of industries.