Fireside Chat: A Conversation with Ken Hersh
This year's symposium opens with a fireside chat featuring Ken Hersh, chairman of HFI Capital Management and former President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Hersh co-founded NGP Energy Capital Management in 1988, one of the nation's largest natural resources private equity firms. He'll join us to discuss his history in Fort Worth, oil & gas investing, where he sees the energy sector heading next, and more.
KEN HERSH
Chairman, HFI Capital Management
Ken Hersh is chairman of his family office, HFI Capital Management. From 2016 to 2025, he served as President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center which houses the George W. Bush Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute.
In 1988, he co-founded NGP Energy Capital Management, one of the nation’s largest natural resources private equity firms, which pioneered energy private capital investing. Until 2016, he served as CEO, investing over $12 billion and earning a 27-year 30% annualized rate of return.
He is an active philanthropist and sits on numerous corporate and not-for-profit boards and has received numerous awards and honors relating to his management and community leadership.
In 2023, he released his book, The Fastest Tortoise: Winning in Industries I Knew Nothing About, which chronicles his many life lessons. Ken received his undergraduate degree from Princeton and his MBA from Stanford University.