Shameek Konar

Partner, Head of Energy

Shameek is Partner, Head of Ara Energy, leading the firm’s innovative strategy to acquire, optimize and decarbonize conventional energy assets. This strategy initially focuses on thermal power generation, biofuels production, and the transportation and distribution of retail energy products. Shameek has over 25 years of experience in the energy sector and prior to Ara Shameek served as the CEO of Pilot Company, the largest supplier of transportation fuels in the US. During his time at Pilot the company’s EBIT grew by over 80% in just over two years. His efforts there significantly boosted fuel sales, focused on customer experience and made the company a leader in low carbon fuels in the industry. Pilot became the largest seller of renewable fuels to the transportation industry at 1.5 Bn gallons a year and developed a nationwide network of DC fast chargers in partnership with GM to promote EV integration.

Before his tenure at Pilot, Shameek served as Chief Investment Officer at Castleton Commodities and Mercuria Energy Group, where he led significant expansions in their presence in North American commodity markets through the acquisitions of the J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley Commodities platforms, and invested in and operated investment portfolios of physical energy assets (power, logistics, production and processing) across multiple geographies. Shameek also spent time at Goldman Sachs, where, as Co-Head of Global Commodities and Principal Investing, and Constellation Energy, a leading U S energy merchant, where he was part of the executive leadership team responsible for the company’s strategy and M&A efforts. Shameek started his career as a public policy associate at Putnam, Hayes and Bartlett focusing on environmental and energy policy matters

Shameek’s comprehensive understanding of the global energy landscape drives Ara Energy’s focus on applying sustainable and innovative solutions to conventional energy assets. Shameek serves on the Advisory Board of the Haslam School of Business at the University of Tennessee, the Board of Directors for The Conservation Fund and in his spare time teaches climate change and mergers & acquisitions at the University of Tennessee. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Vanderbilt University, with a focus on Finance and Corporate Environmental Performance. Beyond his professional pursuits, Shameek is passionate about the outdoors, actively engaging in hiking, cycling, golf and tennis.

James Chiu

Partner, Energy

James is a Partner, where he leads Ara Energy’s strategic initiatives to acquire, operate, optimize, and economically decarbonize conventional energy assets. He is currently focused on the firm’s delivery and distribution businesses, while also playing a critical role in investments involving thermal power generation and biofuels production.

James has over 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Prior to joining Ara, he served as Vice President of Strategy and Execution at Pilot Company, where he was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and helped found and grow Pilot’s energy business in Houston through several strategic acquisitions in fuel distribution logistics.

Before his time at Pilot, James held senior positions at Castleton Commodities and Mercuria Energy Group. During this time, he served as a Director for an international storage joint venture, managed several biofuel production plants in Europe and worked on the acquisition and integration of global commodities platforms from J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley.

James holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University, majoring in Finance with a minor in Chemistry. A former track and field athlete as well as wrestler, James maintains a commitment to a health-conscious lifestyle through running, hiking and time outdoors.

Matthew Dunn

Principal, Energy

Matthew is a Principal at Ara, bringing focused expertise to the firm’s investment strategy in the evolving energy market.

Previously, as Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at Pilot Company, he spearheaded significant transactions, including a pioneering nationwide electric vehicle charging infrastructure program. His career path includes roles at Castleton Commodities International, where he focused on power asset investments from both Houston and London offices, and Mercuria Energy Trading, where he served as an associate in the principal investments group. Matthew’s professional journey began at Goldman Sachs.

At Ara, Matthew leverages his extensive background to identify and cultivate opportunities aligned with the firm’s mission to invest and innovate in sectors in need of decarbonization such as thermal power, biofuels, and retail energy distribution.

A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Matthew holds a B.A. in History. When he’s not navigating the complexities of energy markets, you can find him engrossed in a good book, continuing his long time passion for rowing, or cherishing moments with his wife and two children.

David Sims

Managing Director, Energy

David brings extensive expertise in asset management and strategic acquisitions to advance the firm’s initiatives in decarbonization and energy transformation. His career is marked by significant achievements in strategic oversight and operational efficiency improvements, particularly in asset and midstream operations from his time at Constellation Energy and Pilot Company.  He was also a founding partner of a Registered Investment Adviser (OneMap Minerals Services) where his primary responsibilities included financial oversight, fundraising, and fund investments.  His experience extends across leading business units and managing investments, which plays a crucial role in his ability to drive strategic projects at Ara Energy.  To that end, David’s role involves steering critical aspects of the firm’s strategy to enhance returns and sustainability across various energy sectors.

David holds an MBA from Rice University, focusing on Finance and Entrepreneurship, and finished his undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University.

Syed Inam

Senior Associate, Energy

Syed Inam joined Ara in 2025 as a Senior Associate and is focused on the investment and asset management process for the Energy strategy.

Prior to joining Ara, Syed was an Associate at ArcLight Capital Partners where he supported the development of AlphaGen, an 11 GW gas fired generation platform consolidated from six distinct portfolio companies. He was active in evaluating investment opportunities in the power, midstream and renewable sectors. Syed began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at BMO Capital Markets, where he was focused on M&A and project finance for operating, brownfield and greenfield infrastructure projects in North America.

Syed holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business, York University.

Harper Pertchik

Analyst, Energy

Harper Pertchik is an Analyst on the Energy investment team, specializing in identifying and evaluating investment opportunities and supporting transaction execution.

Before joining Ara Energy, Harper served as an ESG and Government Affairs & Global Policy Analyst at Nikola Motor Company, where she played a key role in shaping strategies for waste management, sustainability, policy advocacy, and regulatory compliance. She also worked as a Business Development Specialist at Ecolution Power, contributing to the expansion of renewable energy technologies.

Harper holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Resource Economics with a minor in Sustainability from the University of Tennessee.

Kevin Wang

Vice President, Energy

Kevin is a Vice President at Ara, where he is focused on transaction execution and portfolio company management for the Energy strategy.

Prior to joining Ara in 2024, Kevin founded an investment vehicle and served as a Vice President at Riverstone, a private equity firm focused on energy, power, and decarbonization. He began his career in the global energy and power investment banking group at Rothschild & Co.

Kevin graduated summa cum laude from Dartmouth College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and earned his Masters in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He enjoys snow sports, golf, tennis, and going on walks and runs with his wife and their dog.

Robert Cobb

Head of Analytics, Energy

Robert Cobb is an experienced analytics leader with deep expertise in optimization, advanced analytics, and pricing strategy. His work spans the design and deployment of algorithmic pricing engines, the leadership of high-performing advanced analytics and data science teams, and the development of enterprise-wide strategies that turn data into competitive advantages.

Prior to joining Ara, Robert led advanced analytics initiatives at Pilot Travel Centers, where he built enterprise-grade pricing systems to support retail and fuel strategy. His work blends rigorous quantitative modeling with a practical understanding of market dynamics, delivering tools that shape decision-making in real time.

Robert holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in Economics and Computer Information Systems, as well as a Master of Arts in Econometrics from Western Kentucky University. He also holds a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Tennessee and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Drexel University, where his dissertation introduced a new framework for the optimization of dynamic pricing systems.

Erica Engle

Principal, Energy

Erica Engle is a Principal at Ara Partners. She has over 25 years of experience across power markets, structured deals, trading, and commercial strategy in the energy sector.

Prior to joining Ara, Erica served as Chief Commercial Officer of a Brookfield portfolio company, where she led the buildout of the company’s M&A, origination, trading and analytics functions. Before that, Erica built and led the commercial structured origination team at AES Clean Energy, structuring complex power purchase agreements and innovative clean energy solutions for hyperscalers and large corporate buyers, including managing the first-of-its-kind 24/7 clean energy structure with Google.

Drawing on her early career in trading, Erica integrates market analytics, contract structuring, trading and optimization capabilities, bridging gaps between market fundamentals, customer priorities and investor returns.

Erica holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and supporting her children’s sports activities.