Tom Kellagher Tom Schnitzius Charles Zabriskie
Tom joined Acquest in 2007 to focus on providing merger and acquisition advisory services to companies and their owners in the energy and chemicals industries.
He has 30 years of experience in merger and acquisition transactions, business development, strategy consulting and corporate finance. Tom was a Principal
of McKinsey & Company, where for 12 years he served a wide range of energy industry clients on their strategic and operational challenges. After McKinsey,
Tom was Senior Vice President of Business Development and Chief Financial Officer for Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, where he led merger and acquisition
transactions to restructure the company's business portfolio. Immediately prior to joining Acquest, he led corporate strategy and development for Cooper
Industries, a global industrial company.
Recent roles include: sell-side advisor to Texon L.P. in the sale of its butane blending business to Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., sell-side advisor to Norton Energy Storage in its sale to FirstEnergy, buy-side advisor to Calumet Specialty Products in its acquisition of Penreco from ConocoPhillips and a lead role in the sale of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company to Shell Oil Company for over
$3 billion.
Tom is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He received an MBA from Drexel University.
Tom founded Schnitzius & Co., an investment banking firm, in 1983 that was the foundation for Acquest, which he co-founded in 1987. From 1975 to 1983, he was a
principal in the investment banking firm of Curtin & Co., Inc., which focused on middle market merger and acquisition transactions and on private placements,
primarily for companies in and serving the energy business. From 1968 to 1975, Tom was employed at Telecom Corp., a public company, where he served as Vice
President responsible for corporate acquisitions and dispositions and Vice President and COO of Texas Capital Corp., a subsidiary engaged in venture capital
investing. In his 35 year career as an investment banker, Tom has focused primarily on transactions in the energy and chemical sectors.
Recent roles include: sell-side advisor to Texon L.P. in the sale of its butane blending business to Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., sell-side advisor in three transactions selling midstream assets to SemGroup, Keyera and CenterPoint, sell-side advisor to PA, Inc. in the sale of its nickel and nickel alloy pipe distribution business to an affiliate of Freestone Partners, L.P. and sell-side advisor to Sprint Industrial Services in its sale to Capstreet Group LLC.
Tom is a native Houstonian. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, receiving a B.B.A. in finance, and from the University of Texas School of Law,
earning a J.D.
Chuck joined Acquest in 2007, bringing 25 years of banking and energy industry experience focused broadly on the energy sector and in recent years on natural
gas, LNG and power. He has advised on acquisitions and divestitures and raised capital for numerous clients in these sectors as Head of Structured Energy
Finance at Royal Bank of Scotland and Global Head of Project Finance at UBS. Chuck also led the 60 person Gas & Power Origination Group at El Paso Merchant
Energy from 2001 to 2002. Chuck began his career with a predecessor of JPMorgan Chase working with clients in the midstream and power sectors.
Recent roles include: sell-side advisor to Norton Energy Storage in its sale to FirstEnergy Corporation, advisor to Gulf LNG Energy on their $1.1 billion project
development and $870 million financing, sell-side advisor to the owners of Bobcat Gas Storage and Caledonia Gas Storage, financial advisor to Freeport LNG as
well as other LNG receiving terminals, acquisition financing for several midstream assets and monetization of various energy assets for
private equity sponsors.
Chuck is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he earned a B.A. in Economics.
