Ken Hersh

Kenneth A. Hersh
Kenneth A. Hersh
Born	1963
Birthplace	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Private equity executive, nonprofit leader
Title	President and CEO, George W. Bush Presidential Center (2016–2025)
Known for	Co-founding NGP Energy Capital Management; President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center
Education	Princeton University (BA) Stanford University (MBA)
Awards	D CEO Magazine Legacy Award (2025)
Website	[[bushcenter.org bushcenter.org] Official site]

Kenneth A. Hersh (born 1963) is an American businessman, financier, and nonprofit executive who built a career at the intersection of energy finance and civic leadership. As co-founder and former chairman and CEO of NGP Energy Capital Management, one of the largest private equity firms focused on the natural resources sector, Hersh oversaw billions of dollars in investment capital and helped shape the modern energy investment landscape over a two-decade career. His investment track record included a stake in Energy Transfer Partners that yielded a nearly 3,000% return on investment, establishing him as one of the most successful energy-focused private equity investors in the United States. In 2016, Hersh transitioned from the private sector to lead the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, serving as its president and CEO for nine years before stepping down in the summer of 2025. Beyond his professional roles, Hersh has been active in philanthropy and public service, sitting on the boards of organizations including the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues, and holding memberships in the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum. In 2017, he made a significant personal investment in the esports industry, becoming chairman of the board of Envy Gaming after a $35 million investment through Hersh Family Investments.

Early Life

Kenneth A. Hersh was born in 1963 in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in the Dallas area, where he would later base both his business career and philanthropic activities. Details of his family background and childhood are not extensively documented in public sources, though his deep roots in the Dallas community would later inform his civic engagement and charitable work, including the establishment of the Hersh Foundation, a family philanthropic organization.

Education

Hersh attended Princeton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently attended Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, where he received a Master of Business Administration. His education at two of the most selective universities in the United States provided a foundation for his career in finance and private equity.

Career

NGP Energy Capital Management

Hersh co-founded NGP Energy Capital Management (NGP), a private equity firm based in Texas that specialized in investments in the natural resources sector, including oil, gas, and related energy industries. Over the course of his tenure at the firm, Hersh helped build NGP into one of the largest and most prominent energy-focused private equity operations in the United States.

One of Hersh's most notable investments through NGP was in Energy Transfer Partners, which yielded a return of nearly 3,000% on invested capital. The investment became one of the most successful in the firm's history and helped cement Hersh's reputation as an astute energy investor.

Under Hersh's leadership, NGP continued to grow its fund sizes and expand its investment scope. The firm raised its eighth fund in 17 years, totaling $1.3 billion, and began expanding into the technology sector in addition to its traditional energy focus. NGP's investment approach under Hersh focused on partnering with experienced management teams in the energy sector, providing both capital and strategic guidance to portfolio companies.

In a 2013 interview with The Wall Street Journal marking twenty years of the firm's private equity activity, Hersh discussed the "resource curse" and the complexities of energy investment over two decades of market cycles.

The firm also developed its leadership team under Hersh. In 2005, NGP announced the promotion of William J. Quinn and other executives as part of its organizational development. That same year, NGP appointed additional oil and gas entrepreneurs to advisory and leadership roles, further expanding the firm's expertise and network in the energy sector.

The Carlyle Group Partnership

In 2012, The Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest private equity firms, acquired a $424 million stake in NGP Energy Capital. The transaction represented a significant validation of NGP's platform and investment track record under Hersh's leadership. As part of the arrangement, Hersh was appointed as a senior advisor to The Carlyle Group, further expanding his influence in the global private equity landscape.

The partnership between NGP and Carlyle came during a period of significant change at the larger firm. In 2016, Carlyle underwent a management restructuring that included the departure of its head of global market strategies.

George W. Bush Presidential Center

On May 31, 2016, Hersh was appointed president and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, marking a major transition from his career in energy private equity to nonprofit leadership.

Hersh served as CEO of the Bush Center for nine years, leading the institution through a period of growth and programmatic expansion. The Bush Center encompasses both the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the George W. Bush Institute, a public policy organization. Under Hersh's leadership, the center pursued initiatives related to its core mission areas, which include veteran support, education reform, global health, economic growth, and human freedom.

In an April 2025 commentary published in The Dallas Morning News, Hersh, writing as Bush Center CEO, argued that "regimes built on fear don't last" and urged focus on America's founding values. The commentary reflected the Bush Center's ongoing engagement with issues of democracy, freedom, and American civic values during Hersh's tenure.

In August 2025, Hersh authored a reflection on his nine years of leadership at the Bush Center, published on the organization's website, as he prepared to pass the CEO role to his successor, Dr. Shilo Brooks. In a separate commentary published in The Dallas Morning News in August 2025, Hersh summarized leadership lessons learned during his tenure working alongside President Bush and leading the institution.

Following Hersh's departure, the Bush Center named Dana Ayres as the "Ken Hersh Family director of the George W. Bush Presidential Museum," a title that honored Hersh's contributions to the institution.

Esports Investment

In 2017, Hersh made a $35 million investment through Hersh Family Investments in Team Envy (later Envy Gaming), one of the oldest and most established esports organizations in North America. The investment was reported by ESPN and The Dallas Morning News and represented one of the larger individual investments in the esports industry at the time.

As part of the investment, Hersh became chairman of the board of Envy Gaming. The investment also facilitated Team Envy's relocation to Dallas, further establishing the city as a hub for the growing esports industry. The organization competed in multiple major esports titles and established a presence in the Dallas-area gaming and entertainment community.

The Dallas area subsequently attracted additional esports events and infrastructure investment. By 2019, North Texas cities were actively seeking to attract esports events, a trend that Hersh's early investment in Envy Gaming had helped catalyze. In 2020, Envy Gaming named film and digital media veteran Adam Rymer as its CEO, a move that signaled the organization's continued professionalization under Hersh's board leadership.

Real Estate and Family Investments

Following his departure from the Bush Center in 2025, activities by Hersh's family investment entities continued to be reported in the Dallas business press. In September 2025, HFI Capital Management, a Dallas-based firm associated with the Hersh family, acquired 1333 Oak Lawn, a 10-story office building in the Dallas Design District, in a joint venture. The building was rebranded as "The Capital Design District."

Philanthropy and Public Service

Hersh has been involved in a range of philanthropic and civic activities throughout his career. He operates the Hersh Foundation, a family philanthropic organization.

He serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum. Hersh has also been a board member of the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) and the George W. Bush Foundation.

Hersh has been involved with the University of Notre Dame's Global Adaptation Index (GAIN), which measures countries' vulnerability to climate change and their readiness to improve resilience. The GAIN Index moved to Notre Dame, and Hersh was listed among the people associated with the initiative.

Hersh has also been associated with St. Mark's School of Texas, a prestigious boys' school in Dallas, where he has been involved in community and institutional activities.

Recognition

In July 2025, Hersh was announced as the recipient of the 2025 Legacy Award from D CEO Magazine, described as the publication's highest honor through its Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards program. The award recognized Hersh's leadership at the Bush Center and his broader contributions to the Dallas nonprofit and business communities. The George W. Bush Presidential Center publicly celebrated the honor.

The naming of the "Ken Hersh Family director of the George W. Bush Presidential Museum" position at the Bush Center in 2025 also served as recognition of Hersh's impact on the institution during his tenure as CEO.

Legacy

Hersh's career spans two distinct chapters: a multi-decade tenure in energy private equity that produced some of the sector's most notable returns, and a subsequent period of nonprofit leadership at one of the most prominent presidential centers in the United States. His co-founding of NGP Energy Capital Management and the firm's growth into a multi-billion-dollar platform, capped by the strategic partnership with The Carlyle Group, positioned him as a significant figure in the Texas energy finance community.

His transition to the Bush Center in 2016 represented a shift from private sector wealth creation to institutional stewardship. Over nine years, Hersh led the organization through periods of both national political turbulence and institutional growth. Upon his departure in 2025, he reflected on the experience, noting lessons in leadership drawn from working alongside a former president and managing a complex institution with both museum and policy-oriented functions.

Hersh's 2017 investment in Envy Gaming was among the early major individual investments in the North American esports industry, helping to establish Dallas as a center for competitive gaming. His willingness to move capital into an emerging entertainment sector reflected an investment philosophy that extended beyond traditional energy markets.

In Dallas, Hersh's influence has extended across multiple sectors—energy, nonprofit leadership, esports, real estate, and philanthropy—making him a notable figure in the city's business and civic life. The 2025 Legacy Award from D CEO Magazine acknowledged this breadth of impact as Hersh transitioned out of his role at the Bush Center.