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MBA Energy Concentration

UNC Kenan-Flagler offers an MBA energy program unique among major business schools. Our comprehensive curriculum allows students to explore every aspect of the energy value chain – from oil and gas to power, petrochemicals, and renewables. Courses focus on day-to-day business and economic situations unique to the energy industry and address challenges faced by specific industry segments. Graduates emerge well-prepared to assume leadership roles within the ranks of multinational corporations, independent producers, power generators, renewables firms, and financial and consulting firms.

David Fountain

Why UNC-Kenan-Flagler?

David Fountain, TVA, discusses the value of an Energy MBA Concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Why UNC-Kenan-Flagler?

Why do we teach the full energy value chain at UNC Kenan-Flagler?

Hear from Stephen Arbogast, one of the industry experts you'll learn from, whose teaching focuses on business ethics, international finance, and the business of energy.

Why do we teach the full energy value chain at UNC Kenan-Flagler?

How UNC Kenan-Flagler helped launch my career in energy.

Darby Casey, MBA '23, shares insight into the energy concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler, her internship experience and post-graduation plans in the energy industry.

How UNC Kenan-Flagler helped launch my career in energy.

How practitioner faculty enhance the UNC Kenan-Flagler Energy MBA.

Learning from professors who have built their expertise by working in the industry helps students better tackle the real-world problems facing the energy sector.

How practitioner faculty enhance the UNC Kenan-Flagler Energy MBA.

Why must the Energy Transition take an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to addressing climate change?

Professor Stephen Arbogast discusses the Energy Transition, including current challenges, potential solutions that extend across all energy sources, and the role that MBAs can play in shifting to a lower carbon energy future.

Why must the Energy Transition take an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to addressing climate change?

How can the oil and gas industry be part of the climate change solution?

Professor Dan Domeracki addresses the role that the oil and gas industry can play -- and is playing -- in becoming a critical part of the climate change problem.

How can the oil and gas industry be part of the climate change solution?

Darby Interview

Darby Casey: Energy meets Real Estate

Full-Time MBA student Darby Casey discusses how her studies in UNC Kenan-Flagler's Energy and Real Estate concentrations helped kickstart her career.

Darby Casey: Energy meets Real Estate

Energy Course Offerings


Meet our faculty

(Select photo to view full profile.)

Stephen Arbogast

Director, UNC Kenan-Flagler Energy Center

Stephen Arbogast

Stephen Arbogast’s teaching career focuses on international finance, project finance, business ethics and the business of energy. He is the author of “Resisting Corporate Corruption: Cases in Practical Ethics from Enron through the Financial Crisis” (Wiley, 2017). His Exxon career spanned 32 years and included assignments as finance manager of Esso Brasileira, treasurer of Exxon Capital Corporation and finance director of Esso Standard Thailand. He received a master’s degree in public affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, his BA in government from Cornell University and a master’s degree in theological studies from the University of St. Thomas, Houston.

Bill Currens

Senior Vice President, Integrated Planning (Carolinas), Duke Energy

Bill Currens

Bill Currens serves as senior vice president of integrated planning for Duke Energy in the Carolinas. He is responsible for coordination of planning and execution of the company’s clean energy strategy in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Before assuming his current position in May 2021, Currens served as senior vice president of financial planning and analysis for Duke Energy. He was responsible for the business and financial planning functions of the enterprise, including oversight of the company’s financial forecast. Since joining the company in 2002, Currens has served in a number of leadership positions including senior vice president, controller and chief accounting officer and vice president of investor relations.

Prior to joining Duke Energy, Currens spent more than nine years with the public accounting firm KPMG LLP.

A native of High Point, North Carolina, he earned a BSBA and a Master of Accounting  from UNC Kenan-Flagler. In 2015, he completed The Executive Program at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

He is a CPA in North Carolina. He actively serves in the community on the board of directors for the Renaissance West Community Initiative, the United Way of Central Carolinas and the N.C. Zoological Society

robert caldwell

Robert Caldwell

Retired, Former President of Duke Energy Renewables and Senior Vice President of Business Development, Duke Energy

Robert Caldwell

robert caldwell

Rob Caldwell retired as president of Duke Energy renewables and senior vice president of business development of Duke Energy based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He led the company’s commercial portfolio consisting of the commercial renewable energy generation, battery storage, energy management and electric transmission development businesses. He joined Duke Energy in 1998 and held various leadership positions. He began his career as a CPA with Arthur Andersen and Co in Detroit. Before joining Duke Energy, he held various operating and financial positions within the natural gas industry in Michigan.

A native of Michigan, Caldwell earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Central Michigan University and an MBA from Michigan State University.

dan domeracki

Dan Domeracki

Associate Director, UNC Kenan-Flagler Energy Center

Dan Domeracki

dan domeracki

Dan Domeracki is vice president, government and industry relations for Schlumberger Limited. Before this role Domeracki served as vice president, global accounts and industry affairs for Schlumberger where he was responsible for leading Schlumberger’s global account program and dedicated global account teams. During 2008-2011 Domeracki was global account director for ConocoPhillips managing the executive level corporate relationship between ConocoPhillips and Schlumberger. From 2006-2008 Domeracki was based in London where he served as vice president, marketing and technology for the Schlumberger Reservoir Management Group. He holds a master’s degree in geology from the University of South Carolina.

Paul Holshouser

Paul Holshouser

Senior Director of Project Finance, Distributed Sun

Paul Holshouser

Paul Holshouser

Paul Holshouser is the senior director of project finance at Distributed Sun. He provides leadership and analysis for DSUN’s activities raising and deploying capital throughout the solar project life cycle. He has been responsible for development capital raises, development decision making,and diligence for the sales of both development and operating solar projects.

Prior to Distributed Sun, he served as finance policy manager for the American Wind Energy Association, supporting the nation’s primary wind advocacy organization in matters dealing with project finance. Prior to AWEA, he was a risk officer for Wachovia Corporation, providing risk analysis for or against investments in American wind projects.

Professor Holshouser received his BSBA and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler.

jordan mintz

Jordan Mintz

Vice President-Tax and Chief Tax Officer, Kinder Morgan

Jordan Mintz

jordan mintz

Jordan H. Mintz serves as the vice president-tax and chief tax officer of Kinder Morgan, Inc. The Ccmpany’s pipelines transport primarily natural gas, refined petroleum products, CO2 and crude oil. He overseas approximately 75 professionals responsible for administration of corporate and partnership tax planning, including property and indirect tax, compliance, audit and reporting functions. He previously held senior tax positions positions at publicly traded Centex Corporation, Enron Corporation, and Exxon Corporation. He was also a tax partner at Houston-based Bracewell LLP.

He earned his undergraduate degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, his law degree from the Boston University School of Law and his master’s in taxation from the NYU School of Law.

ray brooks

Ray Brooks

Executive Vice President of Refining, Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Senior Vice President, MPLX GP LLC.

Ray Brooks

ray brooks

Ray Brooks is executive vice president, refining of Marathon Petroleum Corporation. He is also senior vice president of MPLX GP LLC. He is a board member for the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Association (AFPM), a subcommittee member and past chairman for the American Petroleum Institute (API), and member and past chairman of the AFPM/API Process Safety Advisory Committee. He is a member of the University of Cincinnati Engineering College Advisory Council.

Brooks joined Marathon in 1979 as a chemical engineering co-op. In 1983, he started a progression of technical and management positions at Garyville, Texas City, Robinson, Catlettsburg, St. Paul Park and Galveston Bay refineries. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from the University of New Orleans in 1988.

phil rogers

Phil Rogers

Clinical Associate Professor of Data Sciences and Operations, University of Southern California

Phil Rogers

phil rogers

Phil Rogers received a BS in mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS and PhD in operations research from the University of California at Berkeley, with minors in statistics and mathematical economics. During a 33-year career at Exxon Corporation, Rogers developed many sophisticated mathematical models that were used to optimize a wide variety of the corporation’s business operations. He then joined the University of Houston, where he taught courses in statistics, business modeling and decision making and was awarded a university-wide teaching excellence award. He is continues his educational reach as a clinical associate professor of data sciences and operations at the University of Southern California.

chris vlahoplus

Chris Vlahoplus

Professor of the Practice, Vlahoplus Consulting Services, LLC

Chris Vlahoplus

chris vlahoplus

Chris Vlahoplus is currently Professor of the Practice, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and teaches the seminar “The Business of Energy Consulting” for MBA students.  He also holds a role as Senior Consultant to the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office.

Previously, he had a nearly 30 year career with ScottMadden as a management consultant to the energy and utility industry, serving 20 years as a partner. He led ScottMadden’s clean tech and sustainability practice including a role leading the firm’s nuclear consulting practice.

Chris earned a BS.in mechanical engineering from the University of South Carolina, an MS.in nuclear engineering from MIT and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Alfred Harper

Alfred Harper

Upstream Treasurer, ExxonMobil Corporation (Ret)

Alfred Harper

Alfred Y. Harper served as the Upstream Treasurer in Exxon Mobil Corporation. He joined the company in June 1990 after various finance-related assignments in Dallas, Houston, Singapore and Coral Gables, he was named Assistant Treasurer of the ExxonMobil Chemical Company in 2000.

In 2001, Al became the Business Services Manager and Controller of ExxonMobil de Venezuela in Caracas, and in 2005, he was named Business Services Manager and Treasurer of ExxonMobil Qatar in Doha. In July 2008, he joined the ExxonMobil Development Company, where he held the titles of Controller and then Treasurer. His teams supported the development and financing of ExxonMobil’s major upstream projects around the world.

In January 2013, Al was named as the Upstream Treasurer in ExxonMobil Corporation where he managed a team that is responsible for delivering corporate finance support to ExxonMobil’s worldwide upstream business.

Al holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is married and has two children.

David Levy

CFO of Low Carbon Solutions at ExxonMobil Corporation

David Levy

David was born in Massachusetts and received his B.S. degree magna cum laude in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and his MBA from New York University.  He is a CPA.

After working for IBM, David joined Exxon Corporation in 1989 as a Financial Analyst in Exxon Chemical Company.  His career has been spent in a variety of assignments in both Treasurer’s and Controller’s, including business analyst, financial supervisor, trading room manager and planning manager.  David also served as the Controller of the Benelux affiliates and as the Lead Country Manager and Business Services Manager of Esso Thailand.  David returned to the U.S. in 2005 when he became the Corporate Financial Reporting Manager, later becoming the Controller of the Chemical Division of ExxonMobil, then the CFO of the Upstream, and assuming his current role in 2024.

David is a Professor of the Practice of Finance at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina and teaches a course in Industrial Finance with his colleagues.  He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Wells Fargo Center for Finance and Accounting Research at the Olin School of Business in St. Louis.

David and his wife Margie have two children and they reside in Houston, Texas.

“This is a terrific moment to be involved in energy. Opportunities abound on many fronts, in traditional oil and gas and renewables. All are making major contributions to reinvigorating the economy. The UNC Kenan-Flagler Energy Concentration prepares you for your role in this renaissance by focusing on the problems energy executives address each day. Our industry veteran faculty will equip you with the technical knowledge needed to decode energy issues and show you through case work how to apply your skill set to the industry’s challenges. If you then go to work for an energy company, you will go to work on issues and problems you will already have seen, discussed and analyzed.”

Stephen Arbogast Director