Leadership Team
James Kueser
Managing Partner
Mr. Kueser is the managing partner / founding partner of Metropolis Energy and maintains responsibility for the transactional, operational and financial aspects of the business, including M&A, new business development and asset optimization. Since its inception in 2011, Mr. Kueser has led the M&A platform for the company, acquiring nearly 1,000 MW of generation facilities in multiple U.S. markets.
Prior to the launch of Metropolis Energy, Mr. Kueser served in key senior management leadership roles for multiple private equity firms, including Nations Energy, Primary Energy and Lakeside Energy. During these three private equity campaigns, Mr. Kueser led, directed and/or supported the acquisition of 17 separate fossil-fuel fired generation and/or cogeneration facilities (totaling in excess of 1,000 MW).
Previous to his tenure in private equity, Mr. Kueser held leadership positions for El Paso Merchant Energy and Coastal Power Corporation, maintaining P&L responsibility for its U.S. power business. Under his direction, Mr. Kueser’s teams developed and/or acquired over 1,450 MW of power generation projects and maintained ongoing O&M and asset management responsibility over a large power asset portfolio. Mr. Kueser also led the Pakistan country plan and successfully developed/implemented two new generation projects (340 MW) in the eastern and western regions of Pakistan. Mr. Kueser joined the power sector in 1991 in a Project Finance capacity with Destec Energy and led project financings for domestic/international power projects.
Mr. Kueser received Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry from the University of Missouri. He also earned an MBA-Finance from Southern Methodist University with a Top 5% distinction.
Executive Advisory Board
Frank Napolitano
With a dedicated career commencing in 1986, Frank A. Napolitano, P.E., has practiced exclusively within the Power & Utilities space, enjoying a diversified variety of specialist roles in relevant areas such as engineering, construction, operations, financial forecasting, corporate development, project finance, corporate finance, M&A, commodities and principal investing.
Mr. Napolitano was most recently Managing Director and Global Head of Power and Renewables in the Investment Banking Department of Credit Suisse. Prior to that, Mr. Napolitano was Group Head of the U.S. Power & Utilities Group within the Investment Banking department of RBC Capital Markets, LLC.
In his immediately prior position as President of Lakeside Energy LLC (a private equity portfolio company of American Securities LLC), Mr. Napolitano was responsible for leading management and business development activities, including transaction origination, negotiation, financing, execution, operations and portfolio management.
During the period 1994-2008, he served as an investment banking professional at Lehman Brothers and Chase Manhattan Bank, where he held management leadership, client management and deal/transaction responsibilities. During the period 1986-1994, Mr. Napolitano served in various business and operating roles within the underlying Power & Utilities industry itself at firms including Hess Corporation, O&R Energy, ConEdison, Brooklyn Union Gas and Woodward-Clyde Consultants.
On behalf of utility and power clients, Mr. Napolitano has presented expert testimony in several notable venues including the FERC and the State Regulatory Commissions of California, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, New York, and Pennsylvania.
NYU Stern School of Business, MBA (Finance & Marketing)
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Masters and Bachelors, Mechanical Engineering
William “Fritz” Henze
Fritz Henze was a partner in the Jones Day Energy Practice from 1983—2015 and has led more than 100 transactional efforts by integrated oil and gas companies, pipelines, oil and gas services companies, LDC’s, electric utilities, nonregulated electricity producers, and energy traders. Companies that Fritz has advised on significant transactions include AEP, AREVA, Chevron, Entergy, International Power America, KeyBank, Midwest Generation, OG&E, SCANA Corporation, Stewart & Stevenson, and The Williams Companies. He has been recognized in BTI Consulting Group’s survey of corporate counsel of Fortune 1000 companies for providing superior client service.
Fritz is currently a Director of Stewart & Stevenson.
The author of numerous published articles, he is a member (since inception) of the drafting committee for the EEI Master Power Purchase & Sale Agreement. In addition, he is a member of the Institute for Energy Law’s advisory board, its Power and Alternative Energy Committee, and the Energy Bar Association.
State Bar Admissions: Arizona, New York and Texas.
New York University School of Law, LL.M, New York, New York, 1976
University of Arizona College of Law, J.D., Tucson, Arizona, 1974
Honors: With Distinction
Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A., 1971
Honors: magna cum laude`