Finance and Investing is pleased to announce The Top 25 CFOs of Houston for 2023. The city of Houston has a rich and culturally diverse community, offering a plethora of live performances and art museums. This has helped shape the city, which has one of the youngest, fastest-growing, and most diverse populations anywhere in the world. Its economy is also driven by a multifarious range of key global industries, including energy, life sciences, manufacturing, logistics, and aerospace. As these industries digitize, Houston is also set to experience rapid technological development. At the forefront of these changes are many of our awardees, who lead the financial departments of companies such as GE Power, Airswift, Axiom Space, and Nexeo Plastics.
Among this year’s awardees is Rebecca Giot, Chief Financial Officer at Bracewell LLP, who oversaw the organization's strategic revamp of its London office, which is profitable and much lauded in the legal community. Awardee Imad Barake, Chief Financial Officer of Airswift, utilizes his experience working across the globe, from the Middle East and Europe to ASPAC and North America, to develop his knowledge of Airswift’s global markets. Also awarded is Marilan Logan, the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasure of the Houston Texans. Forty years in the professional sports world has earned her many accolades, including being highlighted in Forbes as one of the NFL's female financial scorekeepers.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 CFOs of Houston for 2023.
1. Lana Currie
Chief Financial Officer, Gas Power Projects, Americas, GE Power
Lana Currie is the Chief Financial Officer of Gas Power Projects in the Americas of GE Power. Currie is a trusted business partner with 15 years of progressive experience providing financial leadership through complex transitions and volatile business cycles. She is known for building strong rapport cross-functionally to champion business growth and execute strategy. She initially joined GE Power in 2019 as the CFO of Aero Americas.
Before joining GE Power, Currie was a Signals Intelligence Analyst at the United States Marine Corps. Currie graduated from Bellarmine University with an MBA and from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor with an undergraduate degree in finance and economics.
2. Tom Mireles
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Murphy Oil
Thomas Mireles is the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Murphy Oil. Mireles joined Murphy Oil in 2005 as Senior Staff Analyst and has since helmed multiple roles with increasing responsibilities, including Senior Manager Planning and Business Development and Senior Vice President of the Western Hemisphere. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Technical Services in 2018 and selected for his current role in 2022.
Previously, Murphy was a Reservoir Engineer at BP for over seven years. Mireles has an MBA from the London Business School and a bachelor’s and master’s degree in petroleum engineering from Texas A&M University.
3. David Proctor
Chief Financial Officer, EV
David Proctor is the Chief Financial Officer of EV. He first joined the company in 2020. EV specializes in well diagnosis to provide timely insight to well operators, helping them to understand and resolve their most complex wellbore issues.
Previously, Proctor was the VP of Accounting at Gladiator Energy. Before that, he was the Group Financial Controller at G2 Integrated Solutions and Global Controller at Corpo. Earlier in his career, he was an Assistant Director of Mergers & Acquisitions at Ritson Smith and a Senior Associate at Deloitte. Proctor earned a Master of Arts in accounting and finance from the University of Aberdeen.
4. Chris Weber
SVP and Chief Financial Officer, Valaris Limited
Chris Weber is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Valaris. Previously, he served as Chief Financial Officer of LUFKIN Industries, a leading global provider of rod lift optimization solutions, products, technologies, and services to the oil and gas industry. Weber has also served as Chief Financial Officer of Abaco Drilling Technologies, Halliburton, and Parker Drilling Company and held senior finance roles at Valaris predecessor companies Ensco and Pride International. Weber has an MBA in finance and strategy from the Wharton School and a bachelor’s degree in economics and English literature from Vanderbilt.
5. Imad Barake
Chief Financial Officer, Airswift
Imad Barake is the Chief Financial Officer of Airswift. He has over two decades of senior financial management experience in the oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction industries. Having worked across the world, from the Middle East and Europe to ASPAC and North America, Barake possesses a strong knowledge of Airswift’s global markets and speaks three languages.
Before joining Airswift, he served as Chief Financial Officer for Bilfinger in North America, Vice President of Corporate Treasury and M&A at Shawcor, and Chief Financial Officer for Dover Energy. Prior to that, Barake spent over 20 years with Schlumberger. Barake has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Arizona.
6. Michael Muse
Chief Financial Officer, EthosEnergy
Michael Muse is Chief Financial Officer at EthosEnergy. He leads the company’s finance functions and is also responsible for the company’s treasury, IT, travel, and real estate sectors. Today, he also serves as a Board Member at Wood Group Pratt & Whitney Industrial Turbine Services, LLC.
Muse joined EthosEnergy in 2020 from H-D Advanced Manufacturing, where he was Senior Vice President and CFO. Prior to this, he held several senior finance roles with Baker Hughes, Nabors Industries, and Duke Energy Corporation. Muse graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor's degree in accounting.
7. Rafael Cervantes
Chief Financial Officer, Himalaya Herbal Healthcare
Rafael Cervantes is the Chief Financial Officer of Himalaya Herbal Healthcare. Cervantes is a finance and accounting professional with over 25 years of experience backed by a proven track record in managing finance and accounting activities in cross-functional, multinational environments across North and Latin America.
Before joining Himalaya Herbal Healthcare, Cervantes was a Consultant for the Latin America Controller at FMC Technologies. Before that, he was a Latin America Regional Controller at Geokinetics. Earlier in his career, he worked with Herdez as a Senior Accountant. Cervantes graduated from Universidad del Valle de México with an MBA in business and an undergraduate degree in accounting.
8. Mark Cashiola
Chief Financial Officer, BGE
Mark Cashiola is the Chief Financial Officer of BGE. He has experience with debt and equity financings, successful initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, asset sales and bankruptcy, and ensuring compliance with financial regulations. He also functions as an Independent Finance and Accounting Consultant at Cashiola Consulting, LLC.
Previously, he spent over seven years at C&J Energy Services, most recently as CFO. Before this, he was a Senior Controller at Grey Wolf Inc./Precision Drilling Corp., a Corporate Controller at Grant Geophysical Corp., and an Audit Manager at KPMG. Earlier in his career, he was at Arthur Andersen LLP as an Experienced Senior Auditor. Cashiola graduated from Texas A&M University with an undergraduate degree in accounting.
9. Rebecca Giot
Chief Financial Officer, Bracewell
Rebecca Giot is a Chief Financial Officer at Bracewell LLP. She first joined Bracewell as a Senior Director of Finance in 2006. Since becoming CFO, she’s built a high‐performing, integrated team and oversaw the organization's strategic revamp of its London office, which is profitable and much lauded in the legal community.
Before joining Bracewell, Giot was the Executive Director of Financial Control for the Houston Community College System. Before this, she was a Director of Hub Finance at Continental Airlines. Giot graduated with an MBA from Duke University Fuqua School of Business and received a bachelor's degree in managerial studies and French from Rice University.
10. David Dye
Chief Financial Officer, ABC Fitness Solutions
David Dye is the Chief Financial Officer of ABC Fitness Solutions. He’s an experienced financial executive with a demonstrated history of working in the IT and services industry. At ABC, Dye is tasked with aligning the company’s finance operations, accelerating the availability of information, and ensuring the delivery of insightful analytics in support of its growth objectives.
Before joining ABC Fitness Solutions, Dye served as Vice President of Finance at BMC Software, a global IT management software solutions provider. During his 17-year tenure at BMC, he led all aspects of financial stewardship for a key business unit. He directed various strategic initiatives and process improvement projects in support of that unit’s exceptional results. Dye earned an MBA from the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Texas Christian University.
11. Robert Lane
EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Sunnova Energy
Robert Lane is the Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Sunnova Energy. He’s also one of Sunnova Energy International Inc.'s executive officers.
Prior to joining Sunnova, Lane served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Spark Energy, Inc., a publicly traded retail energy services company. Lane previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Emerge Energy Services GP, LLC, the general partner of Emerge Energy Services LP. Prior to joining Emerge, he was an investment banker and equity research analyst covering the energy industry. He’s a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Financial Analyst. Lane received an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton University.
12. Nicole Tew
Chief Financial Officer, Gyrodata
Nicole Tew is the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gyrodata. She joined Gyrodata in 2016 and has more than 20 years of experience in accounting, financial reporting and analysis, and corporate compliance. Tew oversees the global accounting and finance team and plays a significant role in Gyrodata's strategic leadership.
Previously, Tew was a Senior Director at BDO USA LLP, and spent 12 years at UHY LLP, most recently as a Principal. Before this, she was a Staff Auditor at Deloitte. Tew earned a Master of Accountancy and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University.
13. West Griffin
Chief Financial Officer, Axiom Space
West Griffin is the Chief Financial Officer of Axiom Space. Griffin manages Axiom’s financial operations and strategic outlook as it assumes a leadership role in the commercial development of space.
Griffin previously co-founded a SPAC, which raised $300 million on the AIM, the junior London Stock Exchange. As the CFO of Energy XXI, he helped the company grow intrinsically and extrinsically by completing six significant acquisitions. Upon leaving Energy XXI, he had helped the company grow to a $5.8 billion enterprise value company listed on NASDAQ. Griffin has been the CFO for several companies, including Calumet Specialty Products Partners and InterGen North America. He graduated from Amos Tuck School of Business with an MBA and Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
14. Marilan Logan
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, Houston Texans
Marilan Logan is the Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasure of the Houston Texans, a professional American football team based in Houston. Logan has spent over 23 years at the organization, managing all aspects of financial matters and payroll services for the Texans, Houston Texans Foundation, and Lone Star Sports and Entertainment.
Having spent almost 40 years in the professional sports world, Logan is considered a seasoned veteran. She has been highlighted in Forbes as one of the NFL's female financial scorekeepers and in the Houston Chronicle as a woman holding a key position in Houston sports. She is also a member of Women in Sports and Events (WISE), the leading voice and resource for professional women in the business of sports. She previously served as the Controller and Treasurer for the Houston Aeros Hockey Club, Aerodromes Ice Rinks, and the Houston Aeros Foundation for two seasons. Prior to joining the Houston Aeros, she was the Controller for the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans). Prior to the Oilers, she was a cost accounting specialist for Reed Tool Company.
15. James Uhl
Chief Financial Officer, PBK
James Uhl is the Chief Financial Officer of PBK. Uhl guides PBK’s accounting and finance department and provides the executive management team with strategic recommendations related to long-term business and financial planning. He brings more than 13 years of executive financial experience to PBK. He is skilled in project accounting, operations, contract strategy, life-cycle contract management, program management, and strategic planning in both the private and public sectors.
Uhl has developed teams and processes throughout his career, allowing organizations to strengthen while experiencing growth. Before PBK, he was a Senior Associate and Director of Project Accounting at LEO A DALY. Prior to this, he was a Business Manager at Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. He has also spent over five years in the United States Air Force as a Contracting Officer. Uhl graduated from Indiana University Kelley School of Business with an MBA and from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in economics.
16. Frank Stokes
Chief Financial Officer, Castle Biosciences
Frank Stokes has served as Castle’s Chief Financial Officer since December 2017. From January 2017 to December 2017, Stokes served as Chief Financial Officer of Hammock Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing women’s health and urology products. From May 2011 to December 2016, he served as a Managing Director of Leerink Swann (now SVB Leerink). Stokes also held a Managing Director position at Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated and Wachovia Securities, LLC. While at SVB, Leerink and Robert W. Baird & CoStokes led life sciences, tools, and diagnostics sector investment banking efforts and managed financings, mergers, and acquisitions transactions. Stokes serves as a Director of Exagen (NASDAQ: XGN) and as the Audit Committee Chair. He has a BS degree in business administration, a JD, and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
17. Rebecca Harrington
Chief Financial Officer, Percheron
Rebecca Harrington is the Chief Financial Officer of Percheron, LLC. She oversees technological upgrades that streamline processes and enables clientele to assess all aspects of projects, all while saving time and capital. Harrington joined Percheron in 2016.
She previously served as the VP of Finance and Administration and Corporate Controller for Hydro Resources. Before this, she worked in the energy industry as the Corporate and Divisional Controller for Pioneer Drilling co/ WEDGE Oil and Gas. She's also held various financial roles at IB-US Stone, Devonshire at PGA National, Exide Electronics, and Arthur Andersen, LLP. Harrington has a master’s degree in accounting from East Carolina University.
18. Keefer M. Lehner
EVP & Chief Financial Officer, KLXE
Keefer M. Lehner became the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of KLXE upon completion of the merger with QES in July 2020. Previously, Lehner served as EVP and CFO of QES since its formation in 2017 through July 2020. He has served in that same role at Quintana Energy Services LP since January 2017 and previously served as Quintana Energy Services LP’s VP of finance and corporate development of Quintana Energy Services LP’s general partner since November 2014.
Lehner previously served in various positions at the Quintana private equity funds, including VP where he was responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing investments, as well as managing and monitoring the activities of Quintana’s portfolio companies. During his tenure at Quintana, he monitored and advised the growth of the predecessors to QES. Prior to joining Quintana, Lehner worked in the investment banking division of Simmons & Company International, where he focused on mergers, acquisitions and capital raises for public and private clients engaged in all facets of the energy industry. He attended Villanova University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Finance.
19. David Jones
Chief Financial Officer, Wisenbaker Builder Services
David Jones is the Chief Financial Officer of Wisenbaker Builder Services, a global direct source supplier to the Texas residential new construction market.
Before joining Wisenbaker Builder Services, Jones was a Senior Relationship Manager at Wells Fargo Bank. Before that, he was a Corporate Banker at JPMorgan Chase Bank. Jones graduated from Tulane University with an MBA in finance and from Auburn University with an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance.
20. Blake Morris
Chief Financial Officer, Boxer Property
Blake Morris is the Chief Financial Officer of Boxer Property. Morris leads the finance and accounting teams responsible for accounting and financial reporting, budgeting and forecasting, treasury management, loan compliance, lender relations, property tax management, income tax planning and compliance, and property and casualty insurance.
Morris has 30 years of experience in financial operations and analysis in multiple operating environments, including public corporations, private equity, investment banking, and strategic consulting. Most recently, he worked for Paragon Offshore, a $2 billion offshore drilling company, as their Vice President of Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis. Before this, Morris spent the majority of his career as a partner at CHB Capital Partners, a private equity firm. He helped invest in and raise financing for 15 portfolio companies across three funds and served on the boards of directors of six of those companies. Morris has an MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rice University.
21. Jerry Noll
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Menninger Clinic
Jerry Noll is the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Menninger Clinic. He is responsible for the organization’s finance, revenue cycle, and health information management systems departments. Noll is also responsible for managing The Menninger Clinic’s Foundation’s endowment and staffing the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board and the Investment Committee of the Foundation Board.
Noll has 35 years of experience in the health and behavioral healthcare market. This includes 20 years at Rogers Behavioral Health System in Wisconsin. Most recently, Noll was the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer at the Sheppard Pratt Health System. Noll graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with an MBA and the University of Wisconsin Madison with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance.
22. Michael Everett
EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Nexeo Plastics
Michael Everett is the EVP and Chief Financial Officer of Nexeo Plastics. He oversees all the company's accounting, treasury, financial planning and reporting, and financial risk management.
He has more than 25 years of experience in financial operations, including progressive roles in the energy and financial services industries. Previously, Everett was the Vice President, Treasurer of FP&A and Investor Relations at Nexeo Solutions. Before this, he was the VP of Finance and Treasurer at Cogentrix Energy and Director of Global Capitalization at Duke Energy. Everett has a Master of Science in finance and economics and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from West Texas A&M University.
23. Dane Fish
CFO, Vacations To Go
Dane Fish is the Vice President and CFO at Vacations To Go. Vacations To Go is one of the world's largest online travel agencies and specializes in selling luxury travel products.
Prior to joining Vacations To Go, he was the VP of Finance at PAC (a subsidiary of Roper Industries) and CFO of Burr Wolff. Before this, he was a Controller and Account Manager at Merichem Company, Operations Manager at Compressor Medics, and a Senior Accountant at Occidental Chemical. Fish is a Certified Public Accountant. He received his BBA in Accounting from Texas State University.
24. Sonyia McNeill
Chief Financial Officer, DYOPATH
Sonyia McNeill is the Chief Financial Officer of DYOPATH. She is highly proficient in streamlining business operations that accelerate productivity, improve efficiencies, and increase EBITDA. Her experience also includes M&A integration – including thirteen acquisitions in the past three years – and ERP system migration for each acquired business.
She was previously Definiti’s CFO. Before this, she was the VP of Finance for two of Seal Industries' largest divisions: SealTech and Guardian Compliance. While there, McNeill collaborated with the sales team on a pricing strategy that quickly increased new contract revenue by 10% and improved existing contract margins by 5%. Earlier in her career, McNeill was the VP of Corporate Accounting for Timec Company. She started her career as a Staff Accountant and Auditor at Brockway, Gersbach, and Niemeier, PC. McNeill graduated from McNeese State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
25. Jeri Nordbrock
Chief Financial Officer, Houston Zoo
Jeri Nordbrock is the Chief Financial Officer of the Houston Zoo. She has over 25 years of experience in nonprofit financial management and accounting, strategic planning, administration, and fund development in the education, environmental, arts, and social services sectors.
Previously, Nordbrock served as the Chief Financial Officer at the Houston Parks Board. She was also KIPP Houston's Controller and Finance and Administration Director at Community Family Centers. Nordbrock has an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management and a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Houston. She also has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she majored in English.
