POPPI Z MELERA

PRESIDENT

Prior to founding The Z Firm, Poppi worked in energy operations spanning multiple commodities including natural gas, power, coal, and petroleum products. She has a strong understanding of the nuances of corporate culture, as well as significant psychological insight into conflict management and resolution, and often draws on these strengths in her writing.

Her background is geographically varied, professionally diverse, and filled with moments of both crisis and conviction—factors all leading to the creation of her entertaining and energizing self-help manual Psychological Warfare: The Power of Mental Strength and the Formula for Victory.

Poppi holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Minor in Marketing from the University of Houston. She is an active supporter of several professional organizations and charities serving women in business, military and veterans, and youth advocacy.

Psychological Warfare Strength Formula Victory

JOHN M. WARTES

DIRECTOR

John earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas. After graduation, John entered the rotational trading program at Enron where he began in Risk Control and was quickly moved into a trading role as a Real-Time Power Trader.

John went on to have a successful power trading career at Williams in Houston and in London as Director European Power Trading where he opened their London office. His career continued at Oxy in Houston as Manager of Power Trading, at Ritchie Capital in Chicago as a Financial Trader, at Ronin Capital in Chicago as a Proprietary Trader and at the Scoular Company in Kansas City as Manager Fuel Trading.

At Scoular Company, John built out an ethanol desk from scratch. In 2009 John was recruited by IVG Energy in Houston and eventually his diverse career brought him to The Z Firm.