#99. Beth McDonald on Building Value Through Disciplined Growth & Strategic M&A

#99. Beth McDonald on Building Value Through Disciplined Growth & Strategic M&A

From Oilfield 360 Podcast by Upright Digital

June 2, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

Beth McDonald discusses her journey and insights on disciplined growth and strategic M&A in the energy sector.

On this episode of the Oilfield 360 Podcast, recorded live from the #FossilFueled event in Houston, Texas, David de Roode and Victoria Beard Queen were joined by Beth McDonald, CEO of SM Energy. In this conversation, Beth shares her journey from a young engineer in the field to leading a public company focused on disciplined growth, strategic M&A, and unlocking value in underappreciated basins. We dig into what it really takes to create value in today’s energy market, from capital allocation and integration execution to building high-performing teams grounded in curiosity, hustle, and humility. This is a conversation about leadership, discipline, and how great operators scale with intention. 00:00 Why Oil and Gas Matters 00:36 Podcast Mission and Sponsors 01:58 Live at Fossil Fueled Houston 02:51 Meet Beth McDonald 03:15 Roots and Geology Passion 04:16 Texas A&M and Giving Back 05:03 Early Career Lessons at Fina 08:46 From Hess to Pioneer Growth 10:06 Joining SM Energy Culture 11:54 Innovation and Basin Strategy 15:00 CITAs Merger Value Case 16:42 Integration Planning and Talent 17:33 Merger Momentum 18:55 Family Life Balance 20:55 Mentors Who Shaped Me 23:04 Why Energy…

People in this episode

Hosts: David de Roode, Victoria Beard Queen

Guest: Beth McDonald

Topics covered

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SM Energy, Fina, Hess, Pioneer

Places: Houston, Texas, Texas, Energy

More episodes of Oilfield 360 Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Oilfield 360 Podcast podcast page.