Team

The Quantica team represents decades of experience across all facets of the energy and power sectors, as well as multi-energy infrastructure development and operations.

Quantica is backed by Houston based EnCap Investments, a leading energy private capital firm since 1988 with $47 billion in assets under management.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

John Chesser

A veteran executive, John has led major platform developments across multiple sectors, including auto finance, renewable energy, nuclear power, and digital infrastructure, including data storage and mining.

Most recently, he was CFO of Talen Energy Corporation and Cumulus Growth, leading the development of the Cumulus 475MW data center (acquired by AWS) and a 150MW bitcoin mining facility. With 13GW of nuclear and fossil power assets in five markets, his team increased profits by over $500mn.

Before Talen, John served as treasurer of TerraForm Power Inc., a 3GW renewables platform (acquired by Brookfield.) At General Motors during the 2008 financial crisis, he helped drive their restructuring and eventual IPO, including the formation of General Motors Financial.

John holds degrees in Accounting and Taxation from the University of Alabama, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

GENERAL COUNSEL

Damon Obie

A Montana native and a veteran legal counselor, Damon has over 20 years of experience in clean energy and power infrastructure.

As General Counsel of Talen Energy Corporation’s Montana subsidiary, he oversaw mergers & acquisitions, regulatory and environmental compliance, commercial growth and real estate development, as well as litigation and corporate governance.

Damon also oversaw the Colstrip Power Plant co-owner relationships, working closely with the government affairs and corporate communications teams, and led Talen’s legal and regulatory efforts to build a nuclear powered cryptomining facility.

In addition to a JD from the University of Montana, Damon also holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University.

CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER

Charlie Baker

A Montana native, Charlie was the Controller for Sibanye-Stillwater’s US PGM operations, a leading source of platinum and palladium and one of the largest industrial operations in Montana.

Previously, he was the CEO of PPL Montana and its subsequent spinoff into Talen Montana, overseeing almost 3GW of operating assets. During his 15 year tenure he oversaw the operations of a 2GW coal plant, the sale of two natural gas plants, and the sale of their Montana hydro assets for $900mn.

Charlie has a B.S. in Accounting & Finance from the University of Montana and is a certified public accountant.

CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Tom Cotter

Tom is an executive support professional with decades of experience partnering with senior leaders in the finance, automotive, and technology industries.

Most recently, Tom was the Business Operations Manager for BrightDrop, General Motors EV-based delivery business. Reporting to the CEO, he helped establish the brand, build the support team, and manage the facilities portfolio. Prior to BrightDrop, he supported the CEO of Cruise, GM’s driverless ride service and delivery business.

Tom has also supported GM’s Treasurer, CFO and President, where he partnered with leadership to support the post-bankruptcy restructuring, 2010 IPO, investor relations, communications, real estate and public events.

Tom studied Education and History at Manhattan College and New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

SR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND RISK

Kelly Walker

A seasoned finance executive with 20+ years of experience, Kelly Walker specializes in financial planning, risk management, and business transformation, optimizing profitability and capital management for multi-billion-dollar portfolios.

Before joining Quantica, Kelly held senior leadership roles at Talen Energy, Nextera Energy Resources, Sunnova, Dynegy, and The Shaw Group, leading corporate forecasting, capital budgeting, trading risk management, and financial planning. At Talen, he developed strategic forecast models, supported $1.7 billion in new debt financing, and led financial planning for a $3 billion revenue, $1 billion EBITDA portfolio.

Kelly holds Master of Finance and MBA degrees from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of New Orleans. He is a Six Sigma Green Belt, proficient in Power BI, SQL, and Python, using data-driven insights to drive sustainable growth and profitability.

DIRECTOR OF POWER MARKETING

Sheryl Mayo

Sheryl is a Butte, MT native and has nearly four decades of experience with the Montana electric generation assets working with Montana Power, Montana Power Trading and Marketing, PPL and Talen Energy. Additionally, Sheryl negotiated operating and tolling agreements for two PPL gas assets in Arizona.

Sheryl has focused on Power Origination for more than 35 years and was an Officer of WSPP. She is an expert on standard power contracts (WSPP, ISDA-P, and EEI) and development of complex transactions for Natural Gas, Thermal and Hydroelectric assets.

Sheryl has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Montana State University.

DIRECTOR OF POWER TRANSMISSION

Patrick McGonigal

Patrick is a seasoned professional at Quantica with over 29 years of experience in the electricity markets of WECC, AESO, and ERCOT, as well as asset management.

After earning a Business degree with a Finance emphasis from the Montana University System, Patrick built a strong foundation in the industry. At PPL Energy Plus, he excelled as Realtime and Short-Term Trading Manager, leveraging strategic insight to drive success.

Known for his leadership and analytical skills, Patrick motivates his team to adopt best practices and maximize profits. A proactive problem-solver, he is committed to process improvement and growth.

Outside of work, Patrick enjoys the outdoors and construction projects. Always seeking new challenges, he remains dedicated to making an impact. Connect with Patrick to learn more about his journey at Quantica.

DIRECTOR OF POWER TRADING

Mark Zora

Mark has spent over 40 years in the energy industry, from upstream Oil & Gas exploration, including M&A activities, to Marketing & Trading of Electricity. He has navigated many changes across the industry.

Most recently, he was Director of Asset Management for Talen Energy Corporation, helping manage power generation assets in Montana, Texas, and Arizona. Talen’s assets ranged from hydroelectric to coal and natural gas-fired facilities, representing about 3 GW of capacity.

Before Talen, Mark was Western Portfolio and Pricing Manager for PPL EnergyPlus, LLC (later merged into Talen Energy), managing financial risk for PPL’s WECC asset portfolio. He contributed to portfolio growth and asset right-sizing.

Mark holds a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering from Montana Technological University and an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma.

More about EnCap

EnCap has been a leading energy private capital firm since 1988
$47 billion: capital commitments raised across 25 EnCap funds
$17 billion: capital invested by EnCap Energy Transition Managing Partners across ~24GW of power projects
$2.7 billion of equity has been directly invested or committed by EnCap Energy Transition Fund into its portfolio companies
+2GWac of long-term Power Purchase Agreements signed over prior two years with large commercial customers.
+10GWac of renewable and storage projects across the USA have developed by EnCap Energy Transition portfolio companies over the past five years, with 2.5GWac operating or under construction during time of EnCap ownership