Investment Team

Robert Sinnott is co-chairman of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.  He has over 40 years of investment experience and oversees the Firm’s energy strategies.  Since joining in 1992, Mr. Sinnott founded and built Kayne’s energy platform into one of the largest energy investment firms in the country with $16 billion in energy investments. He maintains a direct management role in the firm’s energy private equity group and serves as the portfolio manager for two of Kayne’s hedge funds.  In addition, Mr. Sinnott is a director of Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (NYSE: PAA), a large publicly-traded MLP and its parent company, (NYSE: PAGP) and a director of California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC), California’s largest independent oil and natural gas producer.

From 1988 to 1992, Mr. Sinnott was a member of Citibank’s LBO Swat team concentrating on the energy and airline companies and also led its syndication loan activities in Southern California. Prior to that, Mr. Sinnott led Citi’s midstream finance efforts in Houston, Texas.   From 1981 to 1986, he worked for a large diversified pipeline company with subsidiaries in the oil and gas exploration and energy services industries. Mr. Sinnott and five others opened Bank of America’s energy lending activities in Houston in 1976 where he financed independent oil and gas companies as well as diversified pipeline companies.

Mr. Sinnott earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia in 1971 and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Graduate School of Business Administration at Harvard University in 1976. He served three years aboard the U.S.S. Forrestal as a lieutenant j.g. He also is a member of the board of visitors of UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.

Michael Heinz is a managing partner for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2002, Mr. Heinz was a senior vice president of Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Mr. Heinz began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1984 as a reservoir and operations engineer for Exxon Company U.S.A.

Mr. Heinz earned a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Tulsa in 1984.

Daniel Weingeist is a managing partner for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisor’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying private energy investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson and opening the Houston office in 1999, Mr. Weingeist was a managing director and principal of Torch Energy Advisors, a Houston-based company that provided capital to the industry as well as specialized outsourcing services, including oil and gas operations. Prior to that, he served as vice president with EnCap Investments, an associate at Bankers Trust Company and as a reservoir engineer at Exxon Company U.S.A.

Mr. Weingeist earned a BS in Petroleum Engineering in 1985 and an MBA in 1989, both from the University of Texas at Austin.

Chuck Yates is a managing partner for the Kayne Anderson Capital Advisor’s energy private equity activities. He is responsible for the origination and execution of private equity transactions in the energy industry.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2001, Mr. Yates was a senior vice president at Stephens Inc., an integrated merchant and investment bank.

Mr. Yates earned a B.A. in Political Science in 1991 and an M.B.A. in Finance in 1994 from Rice University.

David Iverson is a senior managing director for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2006, Mr. Iverson was a senior vice president of Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc, a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Mr. Iverson began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1988 with ARCO Oil & Gas Company and later Vastar Resources, Inc. where he held various reservoir and facilities engineering and corporate finance positions.

Mr. Iverson earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tulsa in 1988 and an M.B.A. from the University of Houston in 1994.

Mark Teshoian is a senior managing director for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on investment origination, deal analysis/structuring, financial due diligence, transaction negotiation and ongoing oversight of existing investments in the Firm’s energy private equity portfolio.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2008, Mr. Teshoian was a vice president in the energy investment banking group of Goldman Sachs. Mr. Teshoian began his career in the energy investment banking group of Credit Suisse. Mr. Teshoian has fifteen years of transactional experience in the oil and gas industry.

Mr. Teshoian earned a B.B.A. in Accounting and a M.S. in Finance from Texas A&M University in 1999.

Buddy Clarke is a managing director for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2008, Mr. Clarke was an associate in the natural resources investment banking group of Lehman Brothers, where he was involved in numerous financial advisory and underwriting engagements for midstream and upstream oil and gas companies.

Mr. Clarke earned a B.B.A. in Finance in the Business Honors Program and a B.A. in the Plan II Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005.

Patrick Lissonnet is a managing director for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2013, Mr. Lissonnet was a reservoir engineer with Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Mr. Lissonnet began his career in the oil and gas industry in 2003 with Exxon Mobil Corporation, U.S. Production where he held various reservoir and operations assignments.

Mr. Lissonnet earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2003 and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008.

Gifford Wilkerson is a managing director for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2005, Mr. Wilkerson was a reservoir engineer with Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Mr. Wilkerson began his career in the oil and gas industry in 1991 with Exxon Company, U.S.A. where he held various reservoir and operations assignments.

Mr. Wilkerson earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1990 and an M.B.A. from the University of New Orleans in 1997.

Kevin Brophy is general counsel of the Kayne Anderson Energy Funds.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2006, Mr. Brophy was an associate with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld where he worked on domestic and international transactions, with an emphasis on oil and gas projects. Mr. Brophy began his legal career as a tax planning and business transactions associate at a Houston-based law firm.

Mr. Brophy earned a B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University in 1995 and his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in 1999. He received his L.L.M in Taxation from the University of Florida in 2001. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the American and Houston Bar Associations.

Bradford Witmer is chief administrative officer for the firm’s energy private equity activities and leads portfolio and risk management activities.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2015, Mr. Witmer was Chief Financial Officer of one of the firm’s upstream oil and gas portfolio companies where he was responsible for all risk management, finance, accounting and administrative activities and has over 30 years of experience throughout the energy value chain including exploration and production, natural gas distribution and marketing, liquefied natural gas and power generation.

Mr. Witmer earned a B.B.A. in Accounting from Ohio University in 1984 and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Todd Burgamy is a senior vice president for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2011, Mr. Burgamy was an analyst in the investment banking group of Simmons & Company, where he was involved in numerous financial advisory and underwriting engagements for upstream oil and gas companies.

Mr. Burgamy earned a B.B.A. and M.P.A in Accounting and Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Cory Christofferson is a senior vice president for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.
 
Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2015, Mr. Christofferson was senior vice president of reservoir and production engineering with Goodrich Petroleum, a public exploration and production company which he originally joined in 2006.  Mr. Christofferson began his career in the oil and gas industry in 2002 with ChevronTexaco where he held various reservoir and operations assignments.
 
Mr. Christofferson earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with Honors from Montana State University in 2002.

Jack Foster is a senior vice president for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2011, Mr. Foster was an analyst in the natural resources investment banking group of J.P. Morgan, where he was involved in numerous financial advisory and underwriting engagements for upstream oil and gas companies. Mr. Foster began his career in the oil and gas industry in 2008 as an analyst in the family office of former United States Secretary of Commerce Donald L. Evans.

Mr. Foster earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008.

Ryan Sauer is a senior vice president for the firm’s energy private equity activities.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2014, Mr. Sauer was a vice president of Wells Fargo Energy Capital, Inc. where he focused on mezzanine debt and private equity investments in the upstream and midstream sectors of the oil and gas industry. Mr. Sauer began his career as an analyst in the debt capital markets group of Wells Fargo in 2006 where he focused on public and private debt syndicated transactions.

Mr. Sauer earned a B.B.A. in Finance from Texas A&M University in 2006 and an M.B.A. from Rice University in 2013.

Nick Christ is a vice president for the firm’s energy private equity activities. He focuses on identifying investment opportunities as part of Kayne Anderson’s emphasis on energy transactions.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2015, Mr. Christ was a reservoir engineer with Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry. Between 2013 and 2014, Mr. Christ was a senior reservoir engineer with Legend Natural Gas, a private exploration and production company. Mr. Christ began his career in 2008 with Range Resources where he held various drilling and reservoir engineering assignments.
 
Mr. Christ earned a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering in 2007 from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. in 2013 from Southern Methodist University.

Tadd Hatcher is a vice president for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2013, Mr. Hatcher was an analyst in the investment banking group of Simmons & Company, where he was involved in numerous M&A advisory and capital markets engagements for upstream oil and gas companies.

Mr. Hatcher earned a B.S. in Accounting and Business Administration at Washington & Lee University.

Bryan Collins is a senior associate for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2014, Mr. Collins was an analyst in the energy investment banking group of BMO Capital Markets, where he was involved in numerous M&A advisory and capital markets engagements for upstream oil and gas companies.

Mr. Collins earned a B.S. in Mathematics and a M.P.A. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Brad Vinzant is a senior associate for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2014, Mr. Vinzant was an Analyst in the Global Energy Investment Banking Group of Credit Suisse, where he was involved in numerous financial advisory and underwriting engagements for upstream oil and gas, midstream and oilfield service companies.

Mr. Vinzant earned a B.B.A. and an M.P.A. in Accounting and Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Jose Linardi is an associate for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2017, Mr. Linardi was an analyst in the investment banking group of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., where he was involved in numerous M&A and financial advisory engagements for upstream oil and gas and oilfield service companies.

Mr. Linardi earned a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame.

Andy Griffin is an engineering analyst for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2014, Mr. Griffin worked as a mathematics tutor at Middle Tennessee State University. Preceding his teaching and mentoring position, Mr. Griffin’s collegiate studies focused on analytics and statistics.

Mr. Griffin earned a B.S. in mathematics from The University of Mississippi in 2013.

Elizabeth Hall is an Engineering Analyst for Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Prior to joining Kayne Anderson in 2014, Ms. Hall was a senior petroleum analyst with Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc., a Texas-based oil and gas consulting firm that provides a complete range of professional reservoir engineering, geophysical and geological services to the worldwide petroleum industry.

Ms. Hall earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Texas Christian University in 2007.