Mon, Jul 20, 2026
A A A
Welcome Guest
Free Trial RSS pod
Get FREE trial access to our award winning publications
Industry Updates

Moelis makes Trauber Chairman and Global Head of energy and clean technology

Thursday, February 29, 2024
Opalesque Industry Update - Moelis, a leading global independent investment bank, today announced that it has appointed Stephen Trauber as Chairman and Global Head of Energy and Clean Technology. Based in Houston, Steve will lead the Firm's global efforts in this space, building on the strength of its U.S. Energy business, led by David Cunningham, and its deep expertise across the Middle East and Europe. His arrival further expands the Firm's offerings and relationships across energy services, upstream, midstream and energy infrastructure, electrification, mobility, sustainability, LNG and natural gas, among other sub-sectors.

With over 35 years of experience, Steve has advised on more than $700 billion of energy transactions, including many of the sector's most significant and transformative M&A and financing transactions. In addition to assembling more than 300 oil and natural gas transactions, he has also served as lead financier for many of the industry's IPOs and equity and debt capital markets deals. Steve most recently served as Vice Chairman and Global Co-Head of Natural Resources and Clean Energy Transition at Citi, where he was responsible for creating and building its Clean Energy Transition business. Prior to Citi, Steve was Vice Chairman and Global Head of Energy at UBS Investment Bank, where he worked with Ken Moelis.

Effective March 4, senior energy bankers Muhammad Laghari and Alexander Burpee will also join as Managing Directors in Houston to provide strategic advice and execution expertise to upstream and midstream oil and gas clients. Muhammad and Alex each bring over 15 years of energy experience to Moelis and join from Guggenheim where they were Senior Managing Directors in the Energy Investment Banking group. Previously, Muhammad and Alex were part of Citi's Energy Investment Banking team, then led by Steve Trauber, where Muhammad served as Head of North America Upstream Investment Banking and Alex helped lead a technical A&D team providing strategic advice and deal execution expertise to clients. Before a career in investment banking, Alex held technical roles in exploration and production with Schlumberger and Hess.

Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Co-Founder and Co-President at Moelis commented, "Steve is a recognized leader in the industry who has played a key role in many of the energy sector's landmark transactions. We are thrilled to have him lead our global Energy & Clean Technology franchise and look forward to working with Muhammad and Alex as we continue to provide critical advice to our clients across this rapidly evolving industry."

Ken Moelis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Moelis added, "We continue to strengthen our business across key sectors to enhance the innovative advice and solutions we provide our clients. I look forward to reuniting with Steve and know that our established global energy franchise and our dedicated Clean Technology effort will greatly benefit from his deep experience building teams that foster growth. Investing in our Energy efforts and delivering our expanded expertise to clients around the world remains a key strategic focus at Moelis."

"I am excited to join Moelis to help grow its global Energy and Clean Technology business and rejoin Ken and many of my former colleagues," said Steve. "I am also delighted to partner with David Cunningham whom I have known for many years. The global energy ecosystem is undergoing major consolidation and change. I look forward to actively participating in its strategic evolution and working with so many of our clients that are evaluating how best to create value during this period of transformation."

These hires follow the Firm's September 2023 announcement of the launch of its Clean Technology Group with a dedicated focus on Energy Transition and sustainability, and appointments of Arash Nazhad and Rick Polhemus to co-lead the group.

What do you think?

   Use "anonymous" as my name    |   Alert me via email on new comments   |   
Previous Opalesque Exclusives                                  
Previous Other Voices                                               
Access Alternative Market Briefing

 



  • Top Forwarded
  • Top Tracked
  • Top Searched
  1. Other Voices: Nvidia extraordinary growth and the challenge of sustaining demanding valuations over time[more]

    Antonio Di Giacomo, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com, writes: Nvidia has established itself as one of the most extraordinary growth companies in the global technology sector. Over the past two fiscal years, its revenues have risen from levels close to $60 billion annually to well above $120 billi

  2. Secondaries take center stage: What the 2026 PE landscape means for GPs and investors[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The 2026 edition of Dechert's Global Private Equity Outlook - "Signs of a Gradual Thaw" - marks a notable shift in industry sentiment. After years of compr

  3. And, finally: Time to share it with the people[more]

    From Newsoftheweird: Leavenworth, Washington, has become a tourist destination because of the Bavarian theme businesses have adopted there, NPR reported. One shop, the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, houses the world's largest nutcracker collection, thanks to 101-year-old Arlene Wagner. Wagner sta

  4. Opalesque Exclusive: Private Markets Evergreen Funds - An Insider's View[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Private Markets Evergreen Funds: What Investors Need to Know Before They Dive In The democratization of private markets is well underway. Structural barriers t

  5. Opalesque Exclusive: Governance, Scale, and Boutique Resilience in a Consolidating Hedge Fund Industry[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The hedge fund industry has undergone significant consolidation in recent years, with capital increasingly concentrated among large multi-strategy platforms. Yet boutique m