Outcomes: Western Gulf Water Services
This month, The Energists’ Jon Hill checked in with Tony Meszaros, CEO of Western Gulf Water Services. A 2023 placement for us, Tony recently completed his first year in his new role and we were keen to debrief and see how things were going.
Jon Hill (JH) Managing Partner: So, Tony it feels like just yesterday, but it’s been a year already. How does life compare to your first quarter in post?
TM: A little over a year into the new position and Western Gulf Water Services is a different organization than day one. Scaling a relatively new business is no easy task. It requires ideas, talented people, a synergistic culture, and a full understanding of the product or service at hand.
As in any new role, I was highly motivated to take the company to new heights. I realized in the first few days this was the right role for me. It was going to take some creativity and sheer determination. The pieces for success were in place. All needed to be brought together and functioning in sync. The company needed leadership and direction. The Board needed commonality.
JH: Very interesting Tony, what has been the biggest challenge thus far?
TM: Operations, service deliverability, and safety were and are impeccable. There is a great team delivering for the customer every day. Impressively talented people with the know-how to deliver our product efficiently and reliably while exceeding customer’s specifications. We have implemented the necessary preventative maintenance planning and quality management systems our customers require.
In regard to business development, we needed to be in control of our own destiny. The company needed more exposure. Regional sales were added, and a digital footprint was implemented. We have maintained strong industry partnerships and are strategically increasing value add partnerships as needed.
Business systems were in place and needed to be instilled across the team and integrated into the accounting process. 100% of our back-office support is outsourced. It’s a fantastic, cost-effective model. Time needed to be spent ensuring each system worked seamlessly with the other while abiding with corporate governance.
JH: When we were first engaged by the BoD on this search there was an understanding that our mandate represented the natural evolution of a startup through scaling to maturity. A year in, does the preceding statement hold true?
TM: Now that the building blocks have been established and the organization functioning in sync, we are a collaborative, motivated, focused business poised to grow. We have successfully transitioned from founder to industry expertise-led organization.
TM: I have a question for you – why did I get picked?
JH: That’s a good one Tony, what can I tell you? It was a tough field, all finalists represented accomplished leaders, had presided over large P&Ls, and could demonstrate a track record of growth. However, I do believe it came down to behavioral fit with the other members of the respective leadership and governance teams. For us, and as a general rule, the importance of behavioral fit cannot be overstated. And that’s why we carry so many tools to assess the same.
JH: Water use is currently a hot topic and has been since the establishment of riparian rights in the 16th century. So, to what extent do you see other use cases for your solution?
TM: I agree water is a hot topic. Recycling and reuse of water from industrial practices is and will be a major focus for years to come. The same principle application Western Gulf Water Services provides to the Oil & Gas industry can be applied cost-effectively across any industry, globally.
Now more than ever, produced water is viewed as a valuable resource instead of an operating cost for disposal. Measurable steps have been taken to minimize freshwater use and increase reuse through increased regulations and corporate ESG policies.
Today, the best use case is to recycle for industrial practices. Since produced water is far from potable water. I like to use a small piece of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’,” water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink”. The future challenge will be to develop beneficial water reuse technology at scale to address the vast water volume produced as a byproduct of oil production.
JH: Is there any messaging you’d like to put out there about Western Gulf?
TM: Western Gulf Water Services provides turnkey water recycling and treatment services based in Midland, TX. Today, we have the means to offer our customers a complete water recycling, turnkey project from beginning to end anywhere in North America.
JH: Any regrets?
TM: Not at all, life is great right now and I am glad I made the move. A large portion of my career was spent with a major public service company. At a certain point in my career, location consistency for my family became a higher priority and it was time to move on. I reflect on the time fondly. The large corporate environment allowed me to acquire and develop skills and experiences transferable to the institutional fund environment in senior leadership roles.
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