Richard Bernardy, President
Mr. Bernardy has over 30 years of banking and finance, management and entrepreneurial experience. He has managed M1 Energy since 2010 where he provided advisory and consulting services to upstream, midstream, and downstream energy companies. Previously, he was a co-funding officer of NGP Capital Resources Company, worked at Deutsche Bank, and Bank of America (pka Continental Bank) where his focus for over twenty years had been the origination and management of oil and gas investment programs for the upstream and midstream energy sector. His experience includes project and structured finance, private equity, debt securities, sponsorship of equity investments, financial risk management, accounting, forecasting and capital budgeting. Prior to Deutsche Bank, he was a member of the founding management team, serving as Senior Vice President of USBuild.com Corporation, and was involved in all aspects of the financial management of the company including capital raising from venture capitalists and industry partners. He has an MBA from DePaul University and a BS from Northern Illinois University. He holds a Series 79 license from FINRA.
David Martin, Partner and Managing Director
Before co-founding Continental Energy Advisors, David Martin led Corporate Development for 12 years for Costa Energy, LLC (formerly Choice Exploration, Inc.), a leading private onshore exploration and production company, focused in Texas and Louisiana, among the top 200 privately held oil and gas producers in the United States. Mr. Martin focused on acquiring producing assets with drilling upside valued to $200 million, acquiring 3rd party drilling prospects (operated and non-operated), and working with industry partners in Costa Energy’s ongoing drilling programs for working interest positions upwards of $20 million annually. Mr. Martin has more than 30 years of experience in business development and sales and marketing in oil and gas, industrial services, technology, and finance. He is a native of Houston, Texas, and a graduate of Texas Tech University with a B.B.A. in Marketing and a M.A. in Communications.
Luke Wilkens, Partner and Managing Director
Luke Wilkens is responsible for exploring, developing, and promoting all new opportunities for CEA. Luke brings with him over 15 years of experience in Business Development. He is very active in the M&A, Capital, and Restructuring community. Luke began his career in the oil and gas industry as a field engineer for Schlumberger. Since then, Luke’s career path in Business Development has included Schlumberger, Knowledge Reservoir, RPS Group, and INEXS. Luke has a fundamental working knowledge of both Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering enabling him to quickly vet and analyze deals. Luke saw a shift in the oil and gas business in 2014, anticipating oil prices lower for longer and imminent bankruptcies. Recognized the untapped space, began attracting a new client base; began branching out and fostering relationships with law firms, restructuring groups and capital providers. This achievement was recognized by Oil and Gas Investor Magazine in 2016 by the successful nomination as one of their Thirty under 40 in the Oil and Gas industry.