Our Team


GMT Exploration Company LLC is managed by a Board of Managers (“Board”), which performs substantially the same functions as a board of directors of a corporation. Thomas E. Claugus and William D. Lancaster serve as the members of GMT’s Board. The day-to-day management and operations of GMT’s business are performed by or under the supervision of certain executive officers, who serve at the power and direction of the Board and perform substantially the same functions as the executive officers of a corporation.

Thomas E. Claugus

CEO &  CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

Thomas E. Claugus

Thomas E. Claugus has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors since GMT Energy was formed in early 1991. Mr. Claugus resigned his positions with GMT Energy effective with the merger and has since served as a member of the Board and the Chief Executive of GMT Exploration. Mr. Claugus graduated with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree, summa cum laude, from Ohio State University in 1973. Upon graduation, he joined Rohm and Haas Company (‘Rohm and Haas’) as a process engineer. In 1975, Mr. Claugus entered Harvard Business School and graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree, with high distinction, in 1977. Upon graduating from Harvard in 1977, Mr. Claugus returned to Rohm and Haas as a production manager of a manufacturing facility in Mexico. Over the next eight years he held positions of increasing responsibility with Rohm and Haas in Mexico, culminating in his appointment as General Manager of Rohm and Haas for Mexico. During the period from 1985 to mid-1989, Mr. Claugus was the business manager for the Construction Products business and then the Trade Sales business (about $180 million in sales) for Rohm and Haas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From June 1989 to November 1990, Mr. Claugus was the manager for Europe of the Polymers Division of Rohm and Haas, based in London, England. This position included all polymer business (approximately $200 million in sales) conducted by Rohm and Haas in Africa and Eastern and Western Europe. In November 1990, Mr. Claugus left Rohm and Haas to engage in private investment activities. Mr. Claugus is presently a principal of GMT Capital Corp., a private investment management company with approximately $5 billion of assets under management.

William D. Lancaster

PRESIDENT

William D. Lancaster joined GMT Energy as Vice President Exploration and Production on January 1, 2000. Effective April 20, 2001, Mr. Lancaster was named President of GMT Energy. Mr. Lancaster resigned his position with GMT Energy effective with the merger and has since then served as a member of the Board and President of GMT Exploration. He graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in Geologic Engineering in 1978. From 1978 to 1983 he served in various exploration and production positions focusing on the Gulf Coast and the Rockies with Shell and Champlin/Union Pacific. He held various exploration and production management positions from 1983 to 1997 with Union Pacific Resources, HS Resources, and Bass Enterprises. From 1997 to 2000 he was Vice President Exploration/Division Exploration Manager Rocky Mountain Exploration for Santa Fe-Snyder Corporation. He has extensive exploration, production and management experience in most producing North American basins. Mr. Lancaster is a former president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA), on the Board of Directors for the Western Energy Alliance (WEA), and was recently named a director for Pipestone Oil Company. He is a member of the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologist (RMAG), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG).

Kevin D. Andrus, CFA

CFO

Kevin D. Andrus, CFA

Kevin D. Andrus, CFA has served as Chief Financial Officer of GMT Exploration Company LLC since June of 2018. Prior to that, he was the Portfolio Manager of Energy Investments for GMT Capital from October 2011 to April 2018. From January 2006 to October 2011, he served as Co-founder and Lead Portfolio Manager for Colorado Capital Advisors, LLC. Before that, he served in various investment, accounting and operating capacities with various investment firms. Mr. Andrus has served on three different publicly traded oil and gas companies Board of Directors. Mr. Andrus received a B.S. degree in Finance from Metropolitan State University and Masters of Business Administration degree from Regis University. Mr. Andrus is currently a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charterholder.

Tim Baer

EVP OF OPERATIONS

Tim Baer, EVP of Operations

Tim Baer joined GMT Exploration as EVP of Operations in April 2024. Prior to GMT, Tim was VP Operations at Caerus Oil and Gas for 5 years with drilling, completion, development, and production engineering responsibilities in the Piceance and Uinta Basins.  Other experiences include 18 years at EnCana Oil and Gas with engineering and leadership responsibilities in drilling, completion, production engineering and operations, and asset development.   At EnCana, Tim worked in many basins including Jonah, San Juan Oil, and Eagleford.   Tim also has nearly 10 years with Schlumberger to round out his 33-year career.  Tim graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Mike Dilli

VP OF GEOSCIENCE

Mike Dilli, VP of Geoscience

Mike Dilli joined GMT Exploration as the Vice President of Geoscience in January 2008. Mr. Dilli has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas business and has extensive experience in geologic analysis, from new ventures exploration to exploitation in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. Mr. Dilli worked for Santa Fe Energy for 20 years as a New Ventures and Exploration Geologist throughout numerous USA Basins and Internationally. He was the Exploration Manager for Western Gas Resources in Denver, prior to joining GMT Exploration. Mr. Dilli is a graduate of Fort Lewis College with a BS in Geology. He is a member of both the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologist (RMAG), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG).

Philip G. Wood

VP OF LAND

Philip G. Wood, VP of LandPhilip G. Wood joined GMT Energy Company as the Vice President-Land in August 2001 and has served in the same position with GMT Exploration Company LLC since the El Paso merger in 2005. Mr. Wood has 38 years of experience in the oil and gas industry primarily focused on Land Management, Contract Negotiations, Exploration, Joint Ventures, Acquisitions and Divestitures. Over the years, Mr. Wood has held various positions with many successful small and mid-sized independents and has worked all of the major Rocky Mountain Basins, Alaska, the Mid-Continent, Texas, the Gulf Coast and Denmark. Mr. Wood received both his BA in Geography in 1979 and a MA in Social Science in 1980 from the University of Northern Colorado.  He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen (AAPL) and the Denver Association of Petroleum Landmen (DAPL).

Dennis Snow

VP OF OPERATIONS

Dennis Snow, VP of OperationsDennis Snow joined GMT Exploration Company as the VP of Operations in October of 2020. Prior to GMT, Dennis was the Asset manager for 3 years for Extraction Oil and Gas, an oil and gas company primarily focused on the DJ Basin. Prior to Extraction, Dennis held various management roles for Noble Energy focusing on development planning. Mr. Snow has over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas industry primarily focused on project development, operations, reservoir, and acquisitions and divestitures. Over the years, Mr. Snow held various position with successful mid-sized independents and major producers in most Rocky Mountain Basins, California, Texas, and Canada. Mr. Snow graduated from University of Wyoming with a B.S in Petroleum Engineering and is a professional engineer in the State of California.

Trevor Smith

Trevor Smith

DRILLING ENGINEER

BJ Cox

PRODUCTION AND OPERATIONS MANAGER

Hans Schuster

Hans Schuster

LAND MANAGER

Maxwell Blair

Maxwell Blair

REGULATORY MANAGER