Leadership

Our strength lies in our leadership. From our extensive technical knowledge to deep geologic know-how and a broad understanding of operational efficiencies, the Novo team boasts a wide range of multi-basin exploration and development experience.

John Zimmerman

Chief Executive Officer

John is a co-founder of Novo II. He served as Chief Financial Officer and co-founder at Novo I. Prior to Novo I and II, John held executive and management positions at PayRock Energy I, Chapparal Energy, Chesapeake Energy and Chesapeake Midstream. He earned his Master of Science in accounting and Bachelor of Science in business and finance from the Meinders School of Business at Oklahoma City University.

Brandon Patrick

President & Chief Commercial Officer

Brandon is a co-founder of Novo II. He served as Vice President – Land at Novo I. Brandon previously held positions at Devon Energy. He earned his Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University and Bachelor of Business Administration in energy management and finance from the University of Oklahoma.

David Avery

Chief Financial Officer

David is a co-founder of Novo II. He served as Vice President - Finance at Novo I. He previously held positions at PayRock Energy I and Chesapeake Midstream. David earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from the University of Oklahoma.

Kurt Shipley

Chief Operating Officer

Kurt is a co-founder of Novo II. He served as Chief Operating Officer at Novo I. Prior to Novo I, Kurt held positions at American Energy Partners, Chesapeake Energy, and Burlington Resources/ConocoPhillips. He earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Texas Tech University.

Zach Everman

Executive Vice President – Reservoir

Zach is a co-founder of Novo II. He served as Reservoir Manager at Novo I. Zach previously held positions at PayRock Energy I. He earned his Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering and chemical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Michael Hale

Senior Vice President – Geology

Michael is a co-founder of Novo II. He served as Vice President – Exploration at Novo I. He previously held positions at Ascent Resources, SandRidge Energy and Fronterra Resources. He earned his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in geology from East Carolina University.

Peter Schmidt

Vice President – Land

Before joining Novo II, Peter served as a Senior Landman at Novo I. He previously held positions at Chesapeake Energy and Devon Energy. Peter earned his Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University and Bachelor of Business Administration in energy management and finance from the University of Oklahoma.

Jeff Vestring

Vice President – Finance

Before joining Novo II, Jeff served as Controller at Novo I. He previously held positions at Native Exploration Holdings and Grant Thornton. He earned his Master of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from the University of Oklahoma. Jeff is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA).

Justin Carter

Regulatory Manager

Before joining Novo II, Justin served as a Senior Landman at Novo I. He previously held positions at Devon Energy and at Walker, Harris & Wolf. He earned his Juris Doctor from Oklahoma City University, Master of Science in energy management from Oklahoma City University, and Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Utah State University.

Tyler Eckert

Senior Business Intelligence Analyst

Prior to joining Novo II, Tyler served as Senior Business Intelligence Analyst at Novo I. He previously held positions at Contango, American Energy Partners and Chesapeake Energy. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Oklahoma State University.

Kaitlyn Smith

Reservoir Engineer

Prior to joining Novo II, Kaitlyn served as Reservoir Engineer at Novo I. She previously held positions at Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission for the State of Oklahoma. She earned her Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Nathan Stroble

Senior Land Analyst

Prior to joining Novo II, Nathan served as Senior Land Analyst at Novo I. He previously held positions at Heritage Resources Management, American Energy Partners and Devon Energy. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Oklahoma.