Class of 2010 - JuneWarren-Nickle's Energy Group

ising stars
One of Tom Bieschke’s fondest memories is when he and business partner,
Brett Wrathall, went to get a light table and fiche reader. Tom was driving
the pickup and Brett was in the back making sure the equipment didn’t
tip over. In that vehicle was the company’s entire workforce and supplies.
Today Caltex Energy is a private oil and gas junior with 7,000 barrels a day
of production and 60 employees. Considering that cross-town haul took place
not even five years ago, it’s no wonder Tom also considers Caltex his biggest
professional accomplishment.
“It’s been a great ride, but it’s also a great responsibility. It certainly brings
home that there a lot of paycheques on the line,” Tom says, characteristically
grounding his thoughts of success with a deep regard for the people around
him. You can see this quality in action even in the mundane daily tasks like
returning calls.
“When Tom gets a message, he’ll dial right back. He respects the
people around him, and that respect runs up and down the organization,”
says Wrathall, Caltex’s co-founder.
Coming to Alberta from Texas 10 years ago with Burlington Resources
as a production engineer, Tom took all of a year and a half before starting a
company of his own with some partners. That company was Krang Energy,
which grew from no production to 5,000 barrels a day before being sold to
Harvest Energy. Further building on his engineering strengths, he launched
Caltex a few days later.
“My university summer work programs were in West Texas and New Mexico,
which is probably why I always considered myself a well-paid plumber,” he
says. “I love trying to squeeze that extra barrel or Mcf [thousand cubic feet]
out of an area where maybe somebody else has tried before.” ★
Family: Married to Stephanie, with three boys: Jake (4),
Will (2), and Sam (11 months)
Education: Two Bachelor of Science degrees
(Petroleum Engineering & Mechanical Engineering)
from Texas A&M University
Favourite charity: Caltex Energy sponsors what is
important to its people—from hockey and softball
teams to work days at habitat for humanity and United
Way. When the earthquake hit haiti, the Caltex management
team matched staff donations and the company
raised over $20,000 in less than two weeks.
First job: Started a lawn-mowing business in 4th grade
Best advice received: love what you do and you’ll
never work a day in your life.
If not in his current career, what would he be doing?
Teaching—maybe engineering, math, or science
Favourite pastime: hanging out with my family—
whether it’s wrestling/playing with the boys, sharing a
meal together, or going camping
Favourite movie: The Band of Brothers TV miniseries
Other passions: he loves sports, whether it’s playing
team sports like football, softball, or volleyball; or individual
sports like golf, hunting, and fishing. he and his
wife also love travelling.
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