David Smith

About David Smith

After college, I began my energy industry career as a roughneck offshore in the Gulf of Mexico as part of a management training program. Along the way, I have been a petroleum landman and a natural gas trader. I led a team that grew a pipeline infrastructure services business from less than $2M to nearly $40M in five years.Thereafter, I raised nearly $100M with a private equity partner, we acquired several companies and I became the President of one of the largest energy infrastructure services companies in the Gulf Coast region with over 750 employees. Business development is my passion. I leverage my decades of experience in the energy industry to identify, engage and serve customers whether the decision makers are in the field or at the highest corporate levels. I encourage open and candid dialogue about technical challenges customers face and then work closely with our team to develop technically compelling, creative and cost effective solutions. I strive to understand complex customer challenges and then work to ensure that we are creating customized solutions that support and improve their safety, performance, resilience, reliability and security. I\'m candid when I don\'t understand a complex technical issue and will ask questions until I understand the problem(s) and how we can solve them. I strive to understand the business of my customers. I am relationship driven to ensure the success of the customers I serve. I excel at building trust & rapport with customers, partners, and colleagues at all levels. My focus is on contributing in meaningful and measurable ways for the success of the clients we serve and for our company.The late Dean Cluck, a legendary Texas Panhandle rancher and oil operator, once told me,\"If you don\'t lie, you don\'t need to remember what you told anyone\". This is an approach I have always abided by in all aspects of my personal and professional life.

Experience

1. Advisory Board of Directors

   Houston Maritime Center & Museum

   Aug 2021 — Present · Houston, TX, US

   The Houston Maritime Education Center and Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization devoted to educating the Houston community on maritime history and industry. The Houston Ship Channel is a critical asset and a strategic resource for the region. The maritime industry has contributed considerably to the success and prosperity of the greater Houston region and the US Gulf Coast. The Houston Maritime Education Center is integral to those efforts - education, advocacy and continuing efforts to help grow and facilitate commercial maritime activities.

Education

• New England College

  B.A., Political Science

Skills

• Strategic Planning
• Gas
• Energy Markets
• Business Development
• Financial Analysis
• Negotiation
• Competitive Analysis
• Contract Negotiation
• Oil & Gas Industry
• Petroleum
• Strategy
• Management
• Executive Management
• Business Planning
• Public Speaking
• Pipelines
• Energy Industry
• Energy
• Upstream
• Due Diligence
• New Business Development
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Project Management
• Marketing
• Consulting
• Business Strategy
• Sales
• Crm
• Contract Management
• Natural Gas