Executive Leadership

Jonathan Samuels, CFA
President & Chief Executive Officer

Jonathan Samuels has been a director since December 2009. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in April 2012, having served previously as Chief Financial Officer since December 2009, and continues to also serve as President of the Company, a position to which he was appointed in May 2011. Prior to joining us, Mr. Samuels was an investment professional responsible for research and investment sourcing in the energy sector at Palo Alto Investors, an investment management firm founded in 1989, for five years. Mr. Samuels received his B.A. from the University of California and his M.B.A. from the Wharton School. He also holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Justin J. Bliffen
Chief Financial Officer

Justin Bliffen was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the company in February 2013, having previously served as VP of Finance and EVP of Finance of the company sequentially beginning in March 2011. Since joining the company, Mr. Bliffen has been instrumental to the company's corporate finance, budgeting, strategic and capital markets initiatives. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Bliffen served as an Associate and Vice President energy derivatives trader at Goldman Sachs from August 2008 to February 2011. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mr. Bliffen served for eight years as a United States Naval Officer and six years as a Navy SEAL. Mr. Bliffen received his B.S. in systems engineering from the United States Naval Academy and his M.B.A. with a major in finance from the Wharton School.

Douglas Griggs
Chief Accounting Officer

Douglas Griggs was hired as the company’s Chief Accounting Officer in November 2014. Mr. Griggs is a certified public accountant with more than 33 years of accounting and financial management experience. Mr. Griggs previously served as the Chief Accounting Officer of Venoco, Inc. from January 2006 through October 2014, prior to which he was an independent consultant in the areas of finance, accounting, project management and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance since January 2003. Mr. Griggs was formerly an Audit Senior Manager with Ernst & Young LLP, and he subsequently held various financial management positions prior to beginning consulting work in 2003. Mr. Griggs has an accounting degree from the University of Northern Iowa.

Dominic Spencer
President, Triangle USA Petroleum Corporation

Dominic Spencer was appointed President of Triangle USA Petroleum Corporation (TUSA) in February 2015. Mr. Spencer previously served as TUSA’s Executive Vice President of Operations since February 2014, prior to which he served in various drilling and operational roles since joining the Company in July 2011.  Mr. Spencer’s efforts and expertise significantly aided the Company’s successful transition from a non-op business model to a full-scale Williston Basin operator.  Before joining the Company, he worked for eight years with Bill Barrett Corporation as Operations Manager and in various other roles on numerous assets.  Mr. Spencer graduated from Colorado School of Mines in 2003 with a B.S. in petroleum engineering.

Ryan McGee
General Counsel

Ryan McGee was appointed as General Counsel of the company in August 2014, having previously served as Interim General Counsel and Associate Counsel.  Prior to joining the company in August 2012, Mr. McGee worked at the law firm of Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP in Denver, Colorado focusing on SEC compliance matters, securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance.  Mr. McGee received his law degree from the University of Colorado Law School and his B.S. degree in business administration from Washington and Lee University.