Professional Experience

Steve joins Opportune as a Managing Director for Business Development. Mr. Kennedy has more than 35 years of experience in energy banking, having spent 25 years with Amegy Bank as the EVP & Head of Energy Banking. Here, Steve formed an energy banking group to make upstream energy reserve-based loans (RBLs) to E&P companies and expanded the energy group to include midstream, downstream, and oilfield service energy lending. During his tenure, he was also able to grow energy loan commitments from $0 to a peak of $6 billion by 2012, with $3 billion of loans outstanding. 

Steve then became the Founder and Senior Advisor for Amegy Bank. In this role, he was able to advise Amegy's executive management, energy banking team, and credit officers regarding matters affecting the energy banking market. His position gave him the ability to interact with existing and prospective energy clients to maintain healthy relationships and promote new ones. 

He has also held Energy Banking roles with both Wells Fargo and Bank One earlier in his career, growing those energy portfolios and helping to manage clients while strengthening relationships.

Mr. Kennedy holds an MBA in Finance from Baylor University and a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University. He is a board member and immediate past President of the Petroleum Club of Houston, is a licensed pilot and an Eagle Scout.