HOUSTON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading energy sector investment banker Hugh “Skip” McGee III today announced the establishment of Intrepid Financial Partners, a specialist merchant bank that will work with companies and investors in the Energy sector to provide merger & acquisition and restructuring advice and make equity and debt investments. The firm will leverage the deep industry knowledge, relationships and capital-raising expertise of its principals on behalf of its clients and investors. Intrepid plans to invest its own capital alongside its clients.
Intrepid’s primary focus is on the U.S. natural resources and power industries, where recent market dynamics have generated significant opportunities on both the advisory and principal investing fronts.
The firm’s founding partners are Mr. McGee and Christopher Winchenbaugh. Mr. McGee, Intrepid’s Chief Executive Officer,spent 21 years at Lehman / Barclays, most recently served as CEO of Barclays in the Americas. Prior to that, Mr. McGee had a distinguished career at Lehman where he was a member of the Executive Committee and Head of its Global Investment Banking Division after building and leading the firm’s highly successful Global Natural Resources and Power franchises. Mr. Winchenbaugh, who will serve as Intrepid’s President and Chief Operating Officer,was most recently COO of Barclays Americas and previously COO of Barclays’ Global Investment Banking Division. Prior to that, Mr. Winchenbaugh held senior leadership positions at Barclays and Lehman Brothers including Global Head of Debt Capital Markets and was head of all product origination groups in the Americas.
Mr. McGee said, “This is a historic time in the energy business. In natural resources and power, market fundamentals have changed significantly based on new technologies and geopolitical factors, which have affected both the supply of and pricing paradigms for hydrocarbons. These changes create numerous advisory opportunities, and attractive strategic investments are available across the capital structure to those who truly understand the changing market environment. There is a growing need for additional advice and additional capital – at Intrepid, we have both. There are few advisory or investing firms which can match Intrepid’s deep expertise and relationships, particularly as we continue to attract the top talent leaving universal banks for independent and boutique firms.”
Mr. Winchenbaugh added, “Our combined years of experience in the markets and advising on deals provide us with an unmatched perspective and an important edge in today’s market. Intrepid is in a unique position to help our clients create long-term value in their businesses and investment portfolios by providing sound, unbiased advice and offering them access to distinctive investment opportunities. We intend to leverage our extensive global network of relationships cultivated over many years for the benefit of our clients and investors.”
For more information about Intrepid Financial Partners, please visit www.intrepidfp.com.
About Skip McGee
Mr. McGee is a leading investment banker. Until June 2014, he served as a member of the Barclays Group Executive Committee and CEO of Barclays, Americas responsible for its Investment Banking, Corporate Banking, Credit Card and Wealth & Investment Management businesses in the region. Prior to that, he held a number of senior leadership positions at Barclays including CEO of Corporate and Investment Banking, Americas and Chairman and Head of the Global Investment Banking Division. Mr. McGee joined Barclays in September 2008 when he negotiated the move of 10,000 former Lehman employees over to Barclays after the bankruptcy of Lehman.
Prior to Barclays, Mr. McGee was a senior executive at Lehman, where he spent the majority of his career. At Lehman, he was a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and most recently Head of the Global Investment Banking Division from 2002-2008 after running the highly successful Global Natural Resources and Power franchises. Mr. McGee joined Lehman in 1993 after six years at First Boston and Wasserstein Perella.
Mr. McGee has nearly 30 years of investment banking experience and has been involved in many landmark transactions, including Kinder Morgan's $38 billion acquisition of El Paso Energy, BHP Billiton's $15 billion acquisition of Petrohawk, Verizon’s $135 billion acquisition of its remaining stake in Verizon Wireless from Vodafone, Exxon Mobil's $41 billion acquisition of XTO Energy, Kerr-McGee's $18 billion sale to Anadarko, Pfizer’s $68 billion acquisition of Wyeth, and the Williams Companies’ $3 billion financial restructuring.
Mr. McGee graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with a degree in civil engineering and received a J.D. degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law. He is a Lifetime Member of the Advisory Council of McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and sits on the Advisory Council for the Bendheim Center for Finance at Princeton University.
About Chris Winchenbaugh
Mr. Winchenbaugh is a seasoned executive and experienced capital markets expert with nearly 20 years of experience in Investment Banking. Until 2014, Mr. Winchenbaugh served as COO of Barclays, Americas. Prior to that, he served as COO of Barclays’ Global Investment Banking Division from 2011 until 2013, Head of Global Finance and Risk Solutions, Americas from 2010 until 2011, and Head of Debt Capital Markets, Americas from 2008 to 2010. Before joining Barclays, Mr. Winchenbaugh was Head of Global Debt Capital Markets at Lehman, where he began his career. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Holy Cross and an MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management.
About Intrepid Financial Partners
Intrepid Financial Partners is a specialist merchant bank with advisory and investing platforms. It works with companies and investors in the energy sector to provide merger & acquisition and restructuring advice and makes principal equity and debt investments. The firm leverages the deep industry knowledge, relationships and capital-raising expertise of its principals on behalf of its clients and investors. Intrepid invests its own capital alongside its clients.
Intrepid has offices in Houston and New York. For more information on Intrepid, please visit www.intrepidfp.com.
