Meet the Team: Ken McBride

At PetroLedger, we get to know our clients pretty well. We want you to know who we are, too. There’s a lot more personality than you might expect to find at a financial firm, and while professionalism is our first order of business, creating a fun work environment is always close behind!

Today we’d like to introduce Ken McBride, Manager of the Regulatory department. We sat down with him to ask a few questions and get to know him a little better…

How did you get into Oil & Gas Accounting?

It was pure happenstance. I was working in the finance department at City Hall in Tulsa, and I was growing tired of all the red tape you can come across in government activities. I was explaining this to a friend of mine, and she suggested that I try oil and gas accounting. Her company was hiring, and she told me it wouldn’t be easy, but she knew it would be right up my alley. That was 25+ years ago, and I haven’t looked back since.

What was the best vacation you’ve ever experienced? Where did you visit, and what did you do there?

When I was young, I wanted to visit all 50 states in the US, and I wanted to roam all across Europe.  I am currently at 49 states (haven’t been to Alaska yet) and I have been to Europe.  However, of all my travels abroad, my favorite would be when my wife and I went on our honeymoon. We went to Scotland for about a week and Ireland for about a week. We went into the Highlands in Scotland and then, The Royal Mile and all places in between. In Ireland, we went to the Cliffs of Moher, stayed in a castle, and did falconry.  I loved every minute in each country, and what really made it special to me was sharing it with my wife, Misty.

What technology innovation has made the most impact on your life?  

I think, for me, I marvel at the phone. Today’s smart phones have more computing power than NASA had when they landed on the moon, and more computing power than the computers I had access to in high school. And they’re mobile, so they fit in your hand or pocket and do so much.

I think the least used app on a smart phone is making phone calls. I have been lucky enough to watch the development of the smart phone back when it was a giant brick with only about 30 minutes of talk time to extremely small phones, and back to larger ones and everything they can do in between.

What is your specific role with PetroLedger, including your day-to-day activities?

Being in this industry for 25 years, I have worked in so many different areas. Currently, my day-to-day work focuses on the regulatory world, dealing with state regulatory reporting. But the fun part is, since all of us have so much experience in multiple areas, you may start out with your regular duties, but then you can be helping in any number of areas that PetroLedger is involved in. That’s when you realize how great a team you have.                                                                                           

What is one important skill you believe every person should have?

One thing I try to follow in my life is the simple saying, “Knowledge is power, Education is the key.” So, to encapsulate all that, I have to say the number one skill to have is, hands down, problem solving skills. Everyone needs a problem solver. It can help you in work, love life, family life, friends, everyday communications, and day-to-day activities. When you apply problem solving skills, doors will open, and more importantly, it will make things in your life easier to deal with. Identify the problem, research/solve the problem, implement the solution to the problem, and follow up by learning from that problem so you or your company can grow.

Interested in our team? Give us a call or send us an email!

If you want to check out other Meet The Team posts, check out our blog!