Kyle Taylor | Co-Founder and COO
Neil Cohen | CFO
Chris Branch | Vice President, Land
Phillip Holt | Engineering Technologist
Garin Wente | Co-Founder and CEO
Mr. Wente serves as Chief Executive Officer of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately 10 years of industry experience focusing on geology for upstream oil and gas operators and in acquisition and divestiture advisory. Mr. Wente has technical experience analyzing, developing, and executing transactions in the Anadarko, Permian, Appalachian, Uinta, San Juan, Raton and Wind River basins as well as East Texas, North Louisiana, and South Texas.
Prior to co-founding Epoch in March 2019, Mr. Wente served as Executive Vice President of Geosciences at Whitehorse Energy from October 2016 to March 2019 in which it successfully divested approximately 12,000 net acres in the Southern Delaware Basin for more than $150 million over three years. From October 2014 to October 2016, Mr. Wente served as a Vice President in the acquisition and divestiture advisory group at Wells Fargo, a multi-disciplinary team that successfully executed more than 10 transactions totaling approximately $6 billion. From December 2010 to October 2014, Mr. Wente worked for Chesapeake Energy as a Geologist in both operational roles and new ventures. Mr. Wente started his career with Harding and Shelton, Inc., an Oklahoma-based family-owned company, where he played an integral role in the early horizontal development of the Cleveland and Tonkawa sandstones across Dewey and Custer Counties in Oklahoma.
Mr. Wente graduated with an M.S. degree in Geology and a B.S. degree in Petroleum Geology, both from the University of Oklahoma.
Mr. Wente serves as Chief Executive Officer of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately 10 years of industry experience focusing on geology for upstream oil and gas operators and in acquisition and divestiture advisory. Mr. Wente has technical experience analyzing, developing, and executing transactions in the Anadarko, Permian, Appalachian, Uinta, San Juan, Raton and Wind River basins as well as East Texas, North Louisiana, and South Texas.
Prior to co-founding Epoch in March 2019, Mr. Wente served as Executive Vice President of Geosciences at Whitehorse Energy from October 2016 to March 2019 in which it successfully divested approximately 12,000 net acres in the Southern Delaware Basin for more than $150 million over three years. From October 2014 to October 2016, Mr. Wente served as a Vice President in the acquisition and divestiture advisory group at Wells Fargo, a multi-disciplinary team that successfully executed more than 10 transactions totaling approximately $6 billion. From December 2010 to October 2014, Mr. Wente worked for Chesapeake Energy as a Geologist in both operational roles and new ventures. Mr. Wente started his career with Harding and Shelton, Inc., an Oklahoma-based family-owned company, where he played an integral role in the early horizontal development of the Cleveland and Tonkawa sandstones across Dewey and Custer Counties in Oklahoma.
Mr. Wente graduated with an M.S. degree in Geology and a B.S. degree in Petroleum Geology, both from the University of Oklahoma.
Kyle Taylor | Co-Founder and COO
Mr. Taylor serves as Chief Operating Officer of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately 10 years of engineering experience working across five major U.S. basins while holding various technical and strategic roles of increasing responsibility. His multi-faceted experience includes field operations and development, budgeting, and divestitures. Prior to co-founding Epoch in March 2019, Mr. Taylor worked at Chesapeake Energy from June 2009 to March 2019, beginning in the role of Reservoir Engineer—Eagle Ford division, then as Production Engineer—Powder River Basin division, followed by Supervisor in Corporate Strategic Planning division, and finally as Project Manager—Utica and Marcellus division.
Mr. Taylor graduated with a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University.
Mr. Taylor serves as Chief Operating Officer of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately 10 years of engineering experience working across five major U.S. basins while holding various technical and strategic roles of increasing responsibility. His multi-faceted experience includes field operations and development, budgeting, and divestitures. Prior to co-founding Epoch in March 2019, Mr. Taylor worked at Chesapeake Energy from June 2009 to March 2019, beginning in the role of Reservoir Engineer—Eagle Ford division, then as Production Engineer—Powder River Basin division, followed by Supervisor in Corporate Strategic Planning division, and finally as Project Manager—Utica and Marcellus division.
Mr. Taylor graduated with a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University.
Neil Cohen | CFO
Mr. Cohen serves as Chief Financial Officer of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately 16 years of professional experience, focusing on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital markets, investor relations, SEC filings, risk management, treasury, accounting oversight, and certain HR and legal matters. Prior to joining Epoch in April 2019, he served from December 2018 to March 2019 as a consultant to the management team of Crimson Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC. Previously, he served as Vice President, Finance and Treasurer at Earthstone Energy, Inc. from December 2014 through June 2017. Prior to Earthstone, he served in a similar capacity as well as a co-founder of Oak Valley Resources, LLC from its formation in December 2012 until the closing of its strategic combination with Earthstone in December 2014.
From February 2006 to October 2011, Mr. Cohen was employed by UBS Investment Bank as a member of the Global Energy Group, with exposure to all energy subsectors and a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions and equity and debt financings on behalf of exploration and production clients, and as a member of UBS’ Debt Capital Markets Group, with a particular focus on investment grade bond offerings on behalf of energy, utility and real estate clients. He has been involved in $17 billion of announced mergers and acquisitions and $46 billion of bookrun equity and debt capital markets offerings.
Mr. Cohen has held previous roles at Merrill Lynch (Debt Capital Markets and Debt Derivatives Finance and Hess Corporation (Finance). He graduated with a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Maryland.
Mr. Cohen serves as Chief Financial Officer of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately 16 years of professional experience, focusing on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital markets, investor relations, SEC filings, risk management, treasury, accounting oversight, and certain HR and legal matters. Prior to joining Epoch in April 2019, he served from December 2018 to March 2019 as a consultant to the management team of Crimson Renewable Energy Holdings, LLC. Previously, he served as Vice President, Finance and Treasurer at Earthstone Energy, Inc. from December 2014 through June 2017. Prior to Earthstone, he served in a similar capacity as well as a co-founder of Oak Valley Resources, LLC from its formation in December 2012 until the closing of its strategic combination with Earthstone in December 2014.
From February 2006 to October 2011, Mr. Cohen was employed by UBS Investment Bank as a member of the Global Energy Group, with exposure to all energy subsectors and a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions and equity and debt financings on behalf of exploration and production clients, and as a member of UBS’ Debt Capital Markets Group, with a particular focus on investment grade bond offerings on behalf of energy, utility and real estate clients. He has been involved in $17 billion of announced mergers and acquisitions and $46 billion of bookrun equity and debt capital markets offerings.
Mr. Cohen has held previous roles at Merrill Lynch (Debt Capital Markets and Debt Derivatives Finance and Hess Corporation (Finance). He graduated with a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Maryland.
Chris Branch | Vice President, Land
Mr. Branch serves as Vice President, Land of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately nine years of industry experience, including contract negotiations, title analysis, and development of unconventional resource plays. Prior to joining Epoch in January 2020, Mr. Branch served as Senior Landman at Roan Resources where he assisted with operated and non-operated development. Prior to Roan, Mr. Branch spent seven years with Chesapeake Energy in the role of Landman within the title departments responsible for assets located in the Midcontinent, Utica, and Southern Appalachia.
Mr. Branch is a Certified Professional Landman within the Association of Petroleum Landman and a member of the Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landman. He graduated with a J.D. degree from Oklahoma City University and a B.S. degree in Agriculture Economics from Oklahoma State University.
Mr. Branch serves as Vice President, Land of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately nine years of industry experience, including contract negotiations, title analysis, and development of unconventional resource plays. Prior to joining Epoch in January 2020, Mr. Branch served as Senior Landman at Roan Resources where he assisted with operated and non-operated development. Prior to Roan, Mr. Branch spent seven years with Chesapeake Energy in the role of Landman within the title departments responsible for assets located in the Midcontinent, Utica, and Southern Appalachia.
Mr. Branch is a Certified Professional Landman within the Association of Petroleum Landman and a member of the Oklahoma City Association of Petroleum Landman. He graduated with a J.D. degree from Oklahoma City University and a B.S. degree in Agriculture Economics from Oklahoma State University.
Phillip Holt | Engineering Technologist, Land
Mr. Holt serves as Engineering Technologist of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately nine years of industry experience, including data analytics, database architecture, and user interface development. Prior to joining Epoch in November 2019, he served in various technology-related roles pertaining to drilling and completions, operations, and reservoir engineering at BPX Energy, Marathon Oil Company, and Chesapeake Energy Corporation.
Mr. Holt graduated with an M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma.
Mr. Holt serves as Engineering Technologist of Epoch Resources, LLC. He has approximately nine years of industry experience, including data analytics, database architecture, and user interface development. Prior to joining Epoch in November 2019, he served in various technology-related roles pertaining to drilling and completions, operations, and reservoir engineering at BPX Energy, Marathon Oil Company, and Chesapeake Energy Corporation.
Mr. Holt graduated with an M.S. degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma.