Endurance IP Forms 'Brain Trust' With Four Energy & Finance Titans

DALLAS, TX – February 19, 2026 – Endurance Investment Partners (“Endurance” or “EIP”), a Dallas-based investment platform, has significantly bolstered its strategic capabilities with the appointment of four renowned industry veterans as Senior Advisors. The addition of Barry Davis, James Lytal, Tony Weber, and Scott Gieselman—titans from the worlds of energy operations, private equity, and finance—signals a deliberate move to create a formidable brain trust capable of navigating the increasingly complex energy and infrastructure landscape.

This expansion is more than a routine personnel announcement; it represents a strategic concentration of expertise designed to enhance the firm's deal-sourcing network and sharpen its ability to execute on its core mission: providing flexible, solutions-oriented capital. The move comes as the energy sector grapples with the dual challenge of optimizing legacy assets while financing a multi-trillion-dollar global energy transition.

“The addition of Barry, James, Tony, and Scott reflects our commitment to partnering with the most respected and experienced leaders across the energy ecosystem,” said John Spradling, Co-Founder and Partner of Endurance. His partner and Co-Founder, Trey Hatcher, added, “Each of these leaders brings a depth of experience that strengthens our ability to deliver strategic, solutions-oriented capital.”

A Convergence of Unparalleled Expertise

The collective resume of the new advisory board reads like a who's who of the modern energy industry, combining decades of C-suite leadership in midstream operations with elite private equity and financial transaction experience.

Barry Davis is a veteran energy executive best known for founding and scaling midstream giants Crosstex Energy and its successor, EnLink Midstream, into major players. His continued relevance across the energy spectrum is underscored by his current role as Chairman of Pattern Energy, a leader in renewable power. His involvement provides Endurance with deep-seated operational knowledge in building and managing critical infrastructure.

“The market demands a thoughtful and entrepreneurial partner for leading management teams,” Davis stated. “Endurance’s differentiated strategy and commitment to operational excellence make it a compelling platform, and I’m eager to contribute to its success.”

James Lytal brings over four decades of midstream leadership, including a pivotal executive tenure at Enterprise Products Partners, one of North America's largest infrastructure companies. His experience also includes advising formidable investors like Global Infrastructure Partners, giving him a unique perspective on both corporate strategy and institutional investment priorities.

“I’m excited to join Endurance at a moment when innovative capital solutions are critical to unlocking the full potential of energy infrastructure assets,” Lytal remarked.

Rounding out the group are two distinguished alumni of NGP Energy Capital Management, one of the most influential private equity firms in the energy space. Tony Weber, a former Managing Partner at NGP, is known for his deep transaction experience and extensive relationships with institutional investors. His expertise in capital formation and strategic investment execution is a significant asset for EIP’s growth.

“Endurance represents a compelling evolution in how private capital can support energy and infrastructure leaders,” Weber said.

Scott Gieselman complements this with a powerful background in energy finance, having served as a Partner at both NGP and Goldman Sachs. His career spans public and private markets, providing a comprehensive understanding of the capital structures and strategic transactions that define the sector.

“Joining Endurance is an exciting opportunity to engage with a team that combines deep industry insight with creative capital solutions,” Gieselman commented.

Navigating a Complex and Competitive Market

The formation of this advisory board positions Endurance to capitalize on powerful market trends. The energy sector is at an inflection point, requiring massive investment to modernize aging grids, develop new infrastructure for renewables and digital assets like data centers, and optimize the performance of existing hydrocarbon infrastructure. At the same time, the investment landscape is crowded with major players like Encap Investments, Brookfield, and Quantum Capital Group, making differentiated strategy and proprietary deal flow more critical than ever.

By assembling this team, Endurance is betting that deep, specialized experience is the ultimate competitive advantage. The advisors' extensive personal networks are expected to significantly enhance EIP's deal-sourcing capabilities, providing access to opportunities that may not be available through broader market auctions. Their collective insight will also be invaluable in performing due diligence and structuring the kind of customized, flexible capital solutions that have become EIP's hallmark.

This strategy directly addresses a market gap for sponsors and management teams who may be seeking partnership capital to extend the life of a fund or maximize an asset's value outside of a traditional sale process. The advisors' credibility and know-how lend significant weight to EIP's promise of being a strategic partner, not just a passive checkbook.

The Rice Investment Group Strategic Partnership

Underpinning Endurance's entire strategy is its strategic partnership with Rice Investment Group (RIG), the multi-strategy investment fund of the highly successful Rice family. The Rice brothers—famous for founding Rice Energy and later orchestrating a successful turnaround at EQT Corporation to create the nation's largest natural gas producer—are widely regarded as operational visionaries of the shale era.

RIG brings a powerful combination of technical expertise, an aggressive innovation-first mindset, and a proven track record of scaling energy businesses. Their investment portfolio is notably diverse, spanning traditional oil and gas, energy infrastructure, and forward-looking energy transition technologies, including their foundational roles in renewable natural gas producer Archaea Energy and clean power innovator NET Power.

This partnership provides Endurance with an operational and technical backstop that few financial platforms can claim. The synergy between EIP's flexible capital and deal-structuring acumen, RIG's deep operational and technical knowledge, and now the unparalleled strategic oversight of its new advisory board, creates a uniquely powerful ecosystem. This integrated approach allows the firm to not only identify promising assets but also to actively participate in maximizing their long-term value, positioning Endurance as a formidable force in the future of energy and infrastructure investment.