About

About Me

Current role and duties

Derrick May currently serves as the president and chief executive officer of Optimum Energy Partners LLC, a position he started in April 2021. Optimum Energy Partners is a Dallas, Texas-based firm and an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the acquisition, exploration and production of oil and natural gas properties. In this position, May maintains direct supervision over the top executives of the company and oversees the day-to-day operations of the business. Essential responsibilities include ensuring all the necessary systems, resources and personnel are in place to meet the short-term and long-term goals of the enterprise. For personnel, this includes providing robust tools and resources to help each employee meet position-related objectives and personal goals. It also requires maintaining and overseeing the implementation of the company's core values of respect, integrity, dedication, excellence, and responsibility.

Optimum Energy Partners also maintains a set of fundamental principles May must adhere to as part of his role. The fundamental principles of the investment firm include:

Researching using credible resources for accurate results

Partnering and networking within the oil and gas industry

Providing top support for clients and services

Maintaining consistent, comprehensive communication through multiple channels

Committing to ongoing client growth and success

May is also tasked with ensuring the company maintains its key commitment to clients — to create value in a responsible manner. Optimum Energy Partners pursues this by balancing the integration of sustainable business practices with long-term results that drive operations. The company also builds reliable partnerships and relationships that are beneficial for all parties.

Career history

An impressive career trajectory helped Derrick May prepare for his role as the president and CEO at Optimum Energy Partners. Prior to starting at Optimum in 2021, May worked in the financial industry at a variety of well-known Dallas firms. This included over six years with Melody Capital and positions as the managing director of Casimir Capital, as a financial analyst at CoreTerra Operating, and corporate secretary at TransCoastal Corporation. His first full-time position following successful internships was at Highland Capital Management, where he served as a portfolio analyst.

With over one year as the president and CEO of Optimum Energy Partners, Derrick May is bringing his management experience and corporate finance skills to the forefront. The oil and gas industry requires consistent strategic planning and confident decision-making based on sound financial data and comprehensive research. All are areas where May's background in financial analysis and portfolio management lends unique insights. As more investors begin to seek new areas to earn returns above and beyond bonds and other low-interest products, oil and gas investments via companies like Optimum Energy Partners are viewed as favorable due to the possibility of higher returns. Expertise in investing and managing long-term income with high return-on-investment potential and necessary portfolio diversification make May extremely qualified to guide the company through the next stage of growth and investment opportunities.

Academic history and internships

May joined the financial industry workforce full-time while completing his graduate degree, a Master of Business Administration at Southern Methodist University from 2014 to 2016. Southern Methodist University is a nationally ranked private university in Dallas and is noted as a center for global research. It is ranked in the top 50 with U.S. News and World Report for Best Business Schools and features a competitive admissions process. He also earned a bachelor's degree with dual majors in finance and management from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 2012. During his time at OSU, May consistently achieved recognition on the Dean's List for academic achievement.

While at college, Derrick May also landed two prestigious internships with sports teams. These include a role with the National Football League team Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City, Missouri, and with FC Dallas, a professional soccer club in Texas.

Professional skills and experience

With his expansive financial background and high-quality education, Derrick May possesses a diverse range of skills related to business management and financial planning. Key for his current role as CEO are financial analysis, financial modeling, financial reporting, financial accounting, analysis, mergers and acquisition management, corporate finance, and forecasting. Other notable skills include financial modeling, variance analysis, and valuation. These top skills were essential for his prior roles in private equity, investment banking, and company management. Through his work at equity firms and his current position, May has over 17 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He has helped facilitate $500 million-plus in energy transactions combined in buying and selling.

Personal interests and hobbies

When he is not working, Derrick May devotes as much of his free time as possible to sporting activities. Favorites include hockey and tennis and both options are easily accessible in the larger Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.