About Mainline

Ventures

Our Mission

Mainline Ventures is a new breed of professional services firm, providing full-cycle client support to unlock hidden value through a combination of strategic, commercial, and analytical processes rooted in negotiation science.

Our mission is to help forward-thinking businesses commercialize their competitive investments to become one-of-one.

No Handoffs – Work Directly
With Our Partners

We leverage a wider team of exceptional consultants and industry experts, but we know the best results are delivered when clients work directly with us.

IAN M.

Managing Partner

Ian brings over a decade of hands-on Oil & Gas operations engineering and executive experience, leading high-stakes integrations, strategic sourcing, and operational efficiency initiatives across upstream, midstream, and energy services sectors. His deep industry knowledge stems from roles ranging from Drilling Engineer at ExxonMobil to VP of Operations and COO in private equity-backed E&P companies, overseeing multi-million dollar P&Ls, complex asset portfolios, and large-scale capital programs.

After earning his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management—where he was mentored by one of the world’s leading negotiation experts—Ian transitioned into management consulting, advising on hundreds of complex negotiations with significant cost-saving impacts. At Medvec & Associates, he led C-suite negotiations, generating over $100MM in client savings across Fortune 500 and private companies.

Now as Managing Partner at Mainline Ventures, Ian leverages his rare combination of deep O&G operational expertise and advanced negotiation strategy to help energy clients optimize CAPEX, OPEX, and M&A costs. His proprietary, data-driven negotiation methodology has consistently delivered measurable bottom-line results, including $155MM in savings across 20+ clients in just the first year.

Ian holds a Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Engineering from Penn State University and an MBA from Kellogg, where he was a Mork Scholar and served as Cohort Class President.

 

KEITH M.

Managing Partner

 

Keith is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Mainline Ventures, established in 2023 to deliver advanced sourcing and negotiation strategies tailored to the energy and industrial sectors. With over a decade of leadership experience, Keith has managed engineering and operations teams at ConocoPhillips and several private E&P’s, as well as executive sales roles in the oilfield services sector. This diverse background equips him with a comprehensive understanding of both technical and commercial industry drivers.

Prior to Mainline Ventures, Keith served as Senior Managing Director at a boutique strategy consulting firm specializing in high-stakes negotiations. In this role, he was responsible for expanding the consulting practice, focusing on institutionalizing negotiation science principles to drive enhanced supply chain, go-to-market, and M&A efforts for Fortune 500 and large private clients across various sectors. 

Keith’s expertise lies in combining market intelligence and spend analytics with behavioral science to guide sourcing execution – even in sole supplier and low-leverage situations. He is currently leading development of Mainline’s Audaci Platform – a strategic sourcing, vendor evaluation & negotiation tool designed specifically for the Oil & Gas sector.

Keith earned a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business – with focus on operations and data analytics.

 

Our Values

Immediate Results, Lasting Impact

Having spent most of our careers in industry, we recognize that strategy alone cannot drive transformation. That’s why we’re hyper-focused on supporting our clients every step of the way, from initial strategy through execution to drive enduring change.

Alignment over Assurances

As serial entrepreneurs, we have felt the pain of an overpromise, underdeliver sales approach. Therefore, we’re committed to always offering a contingency-based agreement that rewards results, not promises.

Meet Clients Where They Are

Having worked in and advised businesses ranging from small privates to Fortune 500, we understand that every company and engagement is unique. We tailor our solutions to the specific needs & resources of every firm we work with.

Contrarian Innovation

Amid the rapidly evolving B2B landscape, we firmly believe that human interaction is the throughline that will always underpin dealmaking. We leverage leading negotiation science and analytically-informed strategy to bring these two worlds together.

One-of-One Mentality

Every business should be rewarded for the competitive investments they make. We lean into your differentiation so you can consistently derive value as one-of-one.