Who we are
Board of Directors
MICHAEL UTSLER
Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Mr. Utsler was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Company on 11 September 2020, and Executive Chairman on 19 November 2020. Mr. Utsler is an oil and gas executive with more than 40 years of experience in senior international oil and gas sector roles, including 15 years in the Gulf of Mexico and 5 years as Chief Operating Officer of Woodside in Australia. His career has encompassed senior executive, leadership and board roles with Amoco, BP, Woodside and New Fortress Energy. He holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
JOHN JETTER
Director
(Non-Executive)
Mr. John Jetter is the former Managing Director, CEO and head of investment banking of JP Morgan in Germany and Austria, and a member of the European Advisory Council, JP Morgan London. Mr. Jetter has held senior positions with JP Morgan throughout Europe, focusing his attention on major corporate clients advising on some of Europe’s largest corporate transactions. Mr. Jetter has been a non-executive Director of Venture Minerals Limited since June 2010 and Peak Resources Limited from April 2015 to December 2019. Mr. Jetter is the Chairman of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee.
GEOFF PAGE
Director
(Non-Executive Director)
Mr. Page was appointed 17 July 2020 as Non-Executive Director. He also became Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee on 1 August 2020. He is a finance professional with over 20 years of senior finance, accounting and management experience gained globally within a number of industries. He has over 10 years of board experience gained in several different firms.
Mr. Page is a member of CPA Australia, Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Fellow Member of the Governance Institute of Australia. Mr. Page is the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
PAUL SENYCIA
Director
(Non-Executive Director)
Mr. Senycia was appointed to the Board on 24 April 2018 and became a non-executive director on 1 January 2019. Paul joined Otto in 2010 as Exploration Manager, and from 2015 until 31 December 2018 led the Company’s technical operations. Mr. Senycia  was instrumental in the implementation of Otto’s US strategy and was closely involved in the successful farm-in to SM 71 in the Gulf of Mexico, which recently moved into production.
A seasoned oil and gas professional, trained as an exploration geoscientist, Mr. Senycia has over 35 years of international oil and gas experience in both commercial and technical aspects of the business. This was gained with large and small companies worldwide including Shell, Woodside and Beach Petroleum. Over the last twenty years Mr. Senycia has accumulated substantial Gulf of Mexico expertise both on the shelf and in the deep water. This has included deal capture, asset management and project divestment activities. Outside the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Senycia has worked in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia both on and offshore.
JOHN MADDEN
Director
(Non-Executive Director)
Mr Madden has over 40 years’ experience with a proven track record encompassing administrative, acquisitions, business analysis, community consultation, corporate secretarial functions, feasibility studies, financing (including equity raising for listed and unlisted entities), IPO on AIM market, planning and strategic studies, accounting and taxation. These experiences were gained through positions held at both major and junior mining companies at corporate and operating levels. Mr Madden is an executive director of AKORA Resources Limited. He did three years of post-university study/exams for membership of CPA Australia and another two years to get membership of the Australian Instituted of Chartered Secretaries now Governance Institute of Australia and one year for Taxation Institute of Australia. He is also a Member of the Institute of Company Directors (MAICD).
Management/Financial Otto Employees
MICHAEL UTSLER
Executive Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Mr. Utsler was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Company on 11 September 2020, and Executive Chairman on 19 November 2020. Mr. Utsler is an oil and gas executive with more than 40 years of experience in senior international oil and gas sector roles, including 15 years in the Gulf of Mexico and 5 years as Chief Operating Officer of Woodside in Australia. His career has encompassed senior executive, leadership and board roles with Amoco, BP, Woodside and New Fortress Energy. He holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma.
SERGIO CASTRO
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Castro joined Otto Energy in December 2019 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Otto, Mr. Castro was Vice President and Treasurer of Contango Oil & Gas Company for over 13 years. From April 2004 to April 2006, Mr. Castro was a consultant for UHY Advisors TX, LP. From January 2001 to April 2004, Mr. Castro was a lead credit analyst for Dynegy Inc. From August 1997 to January 2001, Mr. Castro worked as an auditor for Arthur Andersen LLP, where he specialized in energy companies. Mr. Castro was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1993 as an E-6, where he served onboard a nuclear powered submarine. Mr. Castro received a BBA in Accounting in 1997 from the University of Houston graduating summa cum laude. Mr. Castro is a CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
WILL ARMSTRONG
Vice President Exploration and New Ventures
Prior to joining Otto, Mr. Armstrong worked with Tri-C Resources, a privately owned Houston based oil and gas company, developing Gulf Coast conventional prospects for drilling. Prior to joining Tri-C Resources, Will screened Gulf Coast, Offshore GOM, and Deepwater GOM prospects for Continental Land & Fur between 2007 and 2014. Between 1999 and 2007, Mr. Armstrong worked as a geophysical consultant, generating Offshore and Gulf Coast prospects on behalf of Houston Energy, Westport Resources, and Petroquest Energy. Prior to consulting, Will had generated prospects for several Houston-based independent oil & gas companies, including being a founding member of Newfield Exploration. Mr. Armstrong began his career at Tenneco Oil Company in 1987 in Lafayette.
Mr. Armstrong graduated with a B.S. in Geology, minor in Mathematics, from Grand Valley State College in 1985. He also graduated from Wright State University with a M.S. in Geology, emphasis in Geophysics and Hydrogeology, in 1987.
Phil Trajanovich
Senior Commercial Manager
Julie Dunmore
Group Financial Controller​
Ms. Dunmore is the Group Financial Controller having joined Otto Energy in June 2018. Ms Dunmore has over 20 years experience in financial and management accounting primarily within the oil and gas industry. Ms. Dunmore’s previous experience includes Regional Finance Manager (SEA) for Crondall Energy (2014-2016), Project Finance Manager at Clough Engineering (2002-2013) and Wesfarmers Group accountant (1994-1997). Ms. Dunmore has a Bachelor of Commerce (UWA), is a Chartered Accountant, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.
SARAH JOHNSTON​
Assistant Accountant​
Ms. Johnston is the Assistant Accountant for Otto Energy Ltd having joined the company in January 2013. She has over 25 years experience in Financial Accounting, with 15 years of that being within Oil and Gas.
Ms. Johnston’s previous roles as Assistant Accountant include Cooper Energy Ltd (2005-2012), Australian Capital Equity (2003-2005) and Australian Red Cross Blood Service (1996-2003). She has a Diploma in Accounting and a Certificate IV in Business Administration.
Technical Team Support
Mike Smith
Geologist
Supporting Otto as both an employee and consultant geologist, Mr. Smith was appointed in September 2018. Prior to joining Otto, he was employed as a Petroleum Geologist for Marlin Energy. Prior to Marlin Energy, Mr. Smith worked for Ocean Energy from 1996 to 2003 as a Petroleum Geologist. He worked both deep water and the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico along with the gulf coast of Louisiana. Prior to Ocean Energy, Mr. Smith worked for Placid Oil Co and CNG Producing as a Petroleum Geologist in the Gulf of Mexico (deep water and shelf) and Gulf Coast. Mr. Smith received a B.S. in Geology from the University of New Orleans in 1982. He is a certified Petroleum Geologist with the AAPG (#8813) and a certified Professional Geologist with the AIPG (#5573).
ED BUCKLE
Reservoir Engineer
Mr. Buckle has been with Otto Energy since 2018 as a consulting reservoir and production engineer. Prior to joining Otto, Mr. Buckle was employed by a number of oil and gas companies ranging from small private companies to major international oil and gas producers. Mr. Buckle has over 35 years experience in the upstream oil and gas business, with primary expertise in reservoir and production analysis. He has worked fields and trends across the continental U.S., with a focus on the Gulf of Mexico and Texas/Louisiana gulf coast. Mr. Buckle graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (1985). He is a member of the SPE.
Chris Klenz
Geotechnical/IT/Data Management Specialist
Supporting Otto since 2018 as a consulting Geotechnician, Mr. Klenz has recently assumed an expanded role in providing ongoing Geotechnical support, and now additionally an expanded IT, Systems and Data management support role. Mr. Klenz has nearly 20 years of oil and gas experience focused on onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico. He has had previous roles with Tri-C Resources, Clayton Williams and TerraAlliance.