By Constance M. Kleinert (’17)
Just a few weeks after taking his latest company public, Glen Warren (’89) returned to UCLA Anderson in late May as an entrepreneur-in-residence at the Price Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Warren is the president, CFO and a director of Antero Resources, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. Since co-founding the company in 2002, Warren has helped grow Antero into one of the largest natural gas producers in the United States. He and his partner, Paul M. Rady, took Antero Resources (NYSE: AR) public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2013, Antero Midstream (NYSE: AM) public in 2014 and Antero Midstream GP (NYSE: AMGP) public in May 2017. After three IPOs in three and half years, the Antero family now has a combined enterprise value of roughly $18 billion.
Warren spent his visit sharing insights and answering questions about his experiences in the fields of energy, finance and entrepreneurship. As a second-year student entering the energy industry after graduation, I saw it as a fantastic opportunity to talk directly and candidly with an industry leader who was able to use his Anderson MBA as a launch pad for his career. At a working lunch session with students in the Anderson Venture Accelerator, Warren talked openly about his experiences starting, growing and managing businesses, including how to work effectively with private equity sponsors, when and how to execute a successful IPO, and what it takes to lead a large company with 500 employees.
Throughout the day, Warren stressed the importance of finding the right partners, particularly those that have complementary skills and backgrounds. His co-founder is a geologist, while Warren has a strong finance background (he worked on Wall Street for 10 years after Anderson). “Working collaboratively alongside someone that not only knew and understood the technical side of the business but that was a good leader and team player really made a great impact on our success,” noted Warren. Including their previous work experience, Warren and Rady have worked together for more than 20 years.
The ability to build a well-rounded team is an essential skill that all leaders must possess, as Warren’s successful career in the energy industry over the last 20 years clearly shows. This point was particularly timely for me as I reflect on the time I’ve spent with my Anderson learning team over the last two years. My team members comprise many different backgrounds and experiences: Our pre-Anderson careers range from software sales in the Bay Area to working at the Central Bank of South Korea to piloting helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps. Our strengths and perspectives have not only made our team more effective and successful, they also broadened our individual skill sets.
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