Kelcy Warren
Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board in Dallas, Texas
Kelcy Warren is an American businessman and the co-founder and former CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, a Fortune 500 natural gas and propane pipeline company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. He was born on November 9, 1955, in Gladewater, Texas, to a family of modest means.
Warren earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington in 1978. He began his career in the energy industry as a gas pipeline engineer in the mid-1970s. He then worked for several natural gas companies, including Texas Oil and Gas and Crosstex Energy Services, before co-founding Energy Transfer Partners in 1995.
Under Warren's leadership, Energy Transfer Partners grew rapidly through a series of acquisitions and expansion projects. The company's main business is transporting natural gas and propane through pipelines across the United States, as well as operating storage and processing facilities. In 2015, Energy Transfer Partners acquired Williams Companies in a $38 billion deal that created the largest energy infrastructure company in the United States.
In addition to his work at Energy Transfer Partners, Warren has been involved in several other business ventures. He co-founded the private equity firm, Energy Transfer Equity, in 2006 and serves as its Chairman of the Board. He also serves on the Board of Directors for several other companies, including Phillips 66 and Sunoco Logistics.
Warren is known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in the field of music education. In 2016, he donated $10 million to the University of Texas at Arlington to establish the Kelcy Warren Instrumental Rehearsal Hall, which provides a state-of-the-art practice facility for the school's music students. He has also made significant donations to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the International Music Festival of the Adriatic.
Warren has received numerous awards for his business and philanthropic work, including the Oil & Gas Industry Leadership Award from the Oil & Gas Awards in 2016 and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2011.