Drew Deaton earned his EMBA in Energy in 2015 as a member of the program’s first cohort. Based in Edmond, Oklahoma, the professional engineer works as CEO of Red Wolf Natural Resources LLC, an upstream oil and gas exploration and production company.
Why did you choose the EMBA in Energy program at OU?
I had planned to earn my MBA since graduating from the Mewbourne School at OU with my petroleum engineering degree. When on campus for another professional program, I visited with Dr. Ghosh about the upcoming EMBA program that he was crafting. It appeared to fit very well with my professional schedule at the time and the courses required seemed to be very interesting and useful to the aspects of what I felt I needed to add to my professional education. Thus, I enrolled in what ended up as Cohort 1. It is very difficult to carve out enough time and resources in your professional and personal life to earn an advanced degree, so you want to make sure it is worth it to you financially and professionally. At the onset, the OU EMBA program appeared to tick off those boxes nicely and I found that to be very true as I went through the coursework and completed my degree.
What was your favorite aspect of the EMBA program and why?
My favorite aspects of the EMBA program were twofold. First, the professors teaching have real-world experience and the classes offered are immediately useful to someone in the energy industry currently. Second, my cohorts who I was in class with were very impressive and we ended up learning a lot from each other as we worked through the coursework together. This aspect of earning an MBA was one that I had not expected, but benefited from greatly. As I think about my fellow cohorts now, all have gone on to achieve various levels or impressive feats in their professional lives. I am proud to be a part of that group with them.
How has earning your EMBA affected your career?
I was working into levels of increasing responsibility with the company that I was with at the time I enrolled in the EMBA. I have since played an integral role in fundraising and the eventual successful strategic exit of multiple assets for that company before moving on to form a new company as the founder and CEO, along with our great team. The courses that I was working through within the EMBA program were immediately useful to me at the time and have since continued to benefit me professionally.
What advice do you have for navigating change and uncertainty in today’s energy market?
My advice for today would be to continuously work to improve your skill set in order to make yourself as valuable as possible and be adaptable while always looking for carefully vetted opportunities. The project or career you are working on in two years may not be exactly what you picture today, but it can still be fulfilling and lucrative if you are continually looking to improve and adapt your best possible potential.
