Pineville native makes it big as investment banker

Bobby Tudor could have done what most people expected him to do.

He could have played basketball at LSU, then come home and worked for his family's successful construction company.

But he had been raised to be his own man, and that meant finding a different path.

"I never had any pressure to go to LSU or work in the family business," Tudor said. "My parents encouraged me to chase my dreams."

It took Tudor a while to find that dream, but when he did, his career took off. Now a respected energy analyst and investment banker, the firm Tudor co-founded recently merged with a larger investment banking firm in a multi-billion-dollar deal.

The merger of Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. into Perella Weinberg Partners created an operation with $12 billion in investments under management.

Not bad for a kid from Pineville.

"He had a winning personality, as do all the Tudors," said Pineville attorney Mike Johnson, a former classmate. "He was just a winner. He did it in the classroom and he did it as an athlete. You knew he was going to be successful in whatever he chose to do."

The Tudor name was well-known in the area when Bobby was growing up. Under his father, Robert "Buddy" Tudor, the family-run company built or owned several of the most recognizable properties in Alexandria.

On the basketball court, he made a name for himself.

A two-time all-state player, Tudor set Pineville High School's all-time scoring record — it was broken not long after he graduated by his younger brother, John. Led by the Tudor brothers, Pineville battled some of Peabody's best teams in the late '70s in a rivalry that captured the imagination of local fans.

In 2000, Tudor was named to the Town Talk's Rapides Parish Half-Century Basketball Team.

"The thing you see in people like Bobby — it didn't matter whether it was basketball or anything else — is they are driven," said Ronnie Kaiser, the former Pineville basketball coach who was an assistant there when Tudor played. "To me, that's the catalyst for successful people."

When it came time to pick a college, Tudor chose Rice, a school with little basketball tradition but a reputation for rigorous academics. Although he was never a star, Tudor was a four-year mainstay on Rice teams that included future NBA standout Ricky Pierce. Tudor was twice named team captain and twice led the team in assists and steals.

Tudor's connection with Rice — "there aren't may places like it," he says — has remained strong in the decades since he graduated. He serves as chair of the university's Board of Trustees, and the Owls basketball team plays in Tudor Fieldhouse (Tudor and his wife, Phoebe, contributed $7 million towards a major renovation of the facility in 2007).

After graduating from Tulane Law School, Tudor began a long stint with finance giant Goldman Sachs. After nearly 20 years, he left his role as a partner with Goldman Sachs to found Tudor Capital, which later became Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

"When I graduated from Rice, I didn't even know what an investment bank was," he said. "But I knew what success was, and I certainly was ambitious."

Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. will retain its name and operate as the energy practice for Perella Weinberg Partners. The merger was announced in December.

The deal made sense for multiple reasons, Tudor said. Perella Weinberg Partners was strong in many areas, but lacked a presence in the oil and gas industry. The larger firm did have a large international footprint, including in the Middle East, and Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. wanted to grow overseas.

"They're great people, and our firms are very culturally compatible," Tudor said. "It was a great fit all around."