Kenneth A. Hersh, Ex-Officio

Since 2016, Ken Hersh has served as president and chief executive officer of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a nonpartisan institution advancing the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion.

He is the Co-Founder and former CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, one of the nation’s largest natural resources private equity investment firms, managing over $20 billion of cumulative committed capital since inception in 1988. From 1988 until 2016, under his leadership, NGP invested over $12 billion and earned a 27-year annualized rate of return of 30%, making it one of the nation’s leading investors during that period.

Mr. Hersh is a frequent writer and speaker on topics ranging from economics and geopolitics to the energy industry and financial markets. In 2023, he released his book, The Fastest Tortoise: Winning in Industries I Knew Nothing About, which chronicles his life’s lessons evolving from his many business and personal experiences.

He also oversees his family investment office, investing in sectors across the economy. He sits on the boards of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club and several private companies in which he invests. In addition, he serves on the Hoover Institution’s Board of Overseers and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Council of the American Enterprise Institute.

His business record has been recognized nationally. In 2023, he received the Ernest C. Arbuckle Award, the highest honor presented annually by Stanford’s Graduate School of Business to recognize excellence in the field of management leadership. In 2020, Mr. Hersh received the L. Frank Pitts Energy Leadership Award presented by the SMU Cox School of Business for demonstrating outstanding leadership and innovation in the field of energy. Mr. Hersh was also named the inaugural Distinguished Executive in Residence at the Cox School of Business, a four-year appointment beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year. In 2017, he received the Oil & Gas Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2014, he was recognized as Master Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southwest Region by Ernst & Young. In 2023, he became the inaugural Distinguished Executive in Residence at SMU’s Cox School of Business.

Mr. Hersh is also very involved in the nonprofit arena both nationally and locally through the efforts of the Hersh Foundation. He sits on the boards of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation, the Dallas Citizens Council, the Southwestern Medical Foundation, and the Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation, and serves on the Advisory Council of The Asian American Foundation.

In November 2023, Mr. Hersh will be recognized with the H. Neil Mallon Award presented by the World Affairs Council to honor his contribution to enhancing the region’s global presence. In 2019, he received the Henry Cohn Humanitarian Award, presented by the Texoma region of the Anti-Defamation League for his work in advancing the cause of human rights, dignity, and equal opportunity. In 2015, he received the St. Mark’s School of Texas Distinguished Alumnus Award.

After graduating from St. Mark’s, Mr. Hersh attended Princeton University where he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Politics in 1985. In 1989, he earned his M.B.A. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business where he graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar.