Bear River Midstream Appointed New C-Suite Executives
The energy storage provider hired commercial and operations leads to support its growth strategy.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in People
Bear River Midstream LLC has named Gary Venz as chief commercial officer and Gary Largesse as chief operating officer to help drive the expansion of its natural gas storage portfolio. The appointments follow the company's launch as an independent entity earlier in 2026.
Why it matters
The company is scaling its leadership team to accelerate the growth of its gas storage business across its existing infrastructure. These moves signal a strategic focus on optimizing customer development and facility operations at the firm's Wyoming and Oklahoma assets.
The new executives bring over 45 years of combined experience to manage 72 bcf of total working gas capacity across sites in Wyoming and Oklahoma. The company operates this infrastructure following its transition to an independent entity earlier this year.
The players
Gary Venz
The new chief commercial officer has over 25 years of industry experience, including 20 years at Williams.
Gary Largesse
The new chief operating officer brings more than 20 years of experience managing energy infrastructure projects.
Bear River Midstream LLC
An independent energy firm that owns natural gas storage installations in Wyoming and Oklahoma.
The details
Gary Venz steps into the chief commercial officer role to direct marketing, customer development, and regulatory engagement, drawing on two decades of experience at Williams. Gary Largesse assumes oversight of facility operations at the Stallion and Salt Plains sites, leveraging more than 20 years of background in energy infrastructure projects. These roles aim to formalize the commercial and operational management of the firm's storage assets as it builds out its independent business model.
Timeline
The company launched as an independent entity earlier in 2026.
Market Landscape
The firm's recruitment follows the broader trend of independent midstream operators staffing up to maximize the utilization of acquired storage assets. This organizational scaling reflects a focus on institutionalizing commercial strategy following the separation from larger energy conglomerates.
Operators in the natural gas supply chain should monitor these leadership changes to identify shifts in commercial contracting and storage availability. The arrival of new executive management often signals upcoming changes in how companies engage with existing customers and regulatory bodies.
The takeaway
The arrival of experienced leadership at Bear River Midstream underscores the importance of operational expertise when scaling independent energy infrastructure assets. Keep track of future regulatory filings from the company to gauge changes in storage capacity utilization.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership trends, visit the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Oil & Gas Journal Online.
