Bob McNally

About Bob McNally

A veteran global energy expert with over three decades of experience at the intersection of energy markets, policy, and geopolitics, Bob is the founder and president of Rapidan Energy Group, a Washington- and Houston-based energy market, policy, and geopolitical consulting firm. Rapidan Energy Group provides actionable and differentiated data, analysis, and advice to senior risk managers and decision-makers at financial firms and companies in the energy sector. Bob is the author of the award-winning book Crude Volatility: The History and the Future of Boom-Bust Oil Prices (Columbia University Press, 2017). Crude Volatility won the International Association for Energy Economics Marcel Boiteux Best International Energy Economics Book Award in 2023. Bob won the United States Association for Energy Economics Adelman-Frankel Award in 2024.Bob’s experience extends from the financial industry to the White House, including 12 years as an energy market and policy analyst at Tudor Investment and, before that, an oil analyst at ESAI Energy. From 2001 to 2003, Bob served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush, serving on the White House National Economic and National Security Councils. Early in his career, Bob served in the Peace Corps in Senegal.Bob has testified before Congress on energy markets, policy and national security, published on energy in Foreign Affairs (co-authored with Michael Levi), Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal, and is frequently interviewed by Bloomberg News, CNN, CNBC, The Economist, NPR, Financial Times, Washington Post, New York Times, PBS’ Great Decisions in Foreign Policy series, and other leading journals and programs. He is a non-resident fellow at the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. Specialties: Oil market and policy research and analysis and consulting on energy investment and trade implications of energy-related legislative, regulatory, geopolitical, and macroeconomic trends, risks, and opportunities.

Experience

1. President

   Rapidan Energy Group

   Sep 2009 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Rapidan Energy Group provides differentiated and actionable insights on energy markets, policy and geopolitics. We help leading corporations and financial market participants identify opportunities and manage risks.

Education

• American University

  BA/BS, Political Science and International Relations

  1983 — 1987

• The Johns Hopkins University

  MA, International Economics, Foreign Policy

  1990 — 1992

Skills

• Gas
• Energy Markets
• Financial Modeling
• Regulations
• Forecasting
• Petroleum
• Commodity
• Financial Risk
• Investments
• Policy
• Economics
• Emerging Markets
• @Risk
• Risk Management
• Trading
• Management
• Public Policy
• Due Diligence
• Hedge Funds
• Energy Policy
• Analysis
• Energy Industry
• Commodity Markets
• Energy