NextDecade Appoints John Zuklic as New CFO
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 03 2026
0mins
NextDecade announced the appointment of John Zuklic as the Company's new Chief Financial Officer, effective July 6, 2026. Mike Mott, who is currently the Company's Interim Chief Financial Officer, will return to his previous role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation. Zuklic joins NextDecade from Citgo Petroleum Corporation, where he held the position of Chief Financial Officer since 2020.
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Analyst Views on NEXT
Wall Street analysts forecast NEXT stock price to fall
1 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 7.800
Low
7.00
Averages
7.00
High
7.00
Current: 7.800
Low
7.00
Averages
7.00
High
7.00
About NEXT
NextDecade Corporation is an energy company. The Company is engaged in construction and development activities related to the liquefaction of natural gas and sale of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and the capture and storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The Company is constructing and developing a natural gas liquefaction and export facility located in the Rio Grande Valley in Brownsville, Texas (the Rio Grande LNG Facility), which has five liquefaction trains and related infrastructure under construction. The Company is constructing and developing the Rio Grande LNG Facility on the north shore of the Brownsville Ship Channel in south Texas. The site is located on 1,000 acres of land which has been leased long-term and includes 15 thousand feet of frontage on the Brownsville Ship Channel. It is also developing a planned carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the Rio Grande LNG Facility.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Investment Choices in Energy: Kinder Morgan vs NextDecade
- Stability of Kinder Morgan: Managing nearly 78,000 miles of pipelines, Kinder Morgan reported a 12% revenue increase to $16.9 billion in FY 2025, with a net income of $3.1 billion, showcasing its strong position and stable income stream in the U.S. natural gas market.
- Growth Potential of NextDecade: Focused on the Rio Grande LNG facility in South Texas, NextDecade targets a capacity of approximately 48 million tonnes per annum, and despite a net loss of $306.4 million in FY 2025, it has secured long-term purchase agreements with 14 customers, laying a foundation for future cash flows.
- Risk Comparison: Kinder Morgan faces minimal commodity price volatility risk due to its fee-based long-term contracts, while NextDecade must navigate construction delays and legal challenges, particularly in the development of its LNG facility.
- Valuation Differences: With a forward P/E of 21.6x, Kinder Morgan appears more attractive to conservative investors, whereas NextDecade lacks a traditional P/S ratio, indicating differing risk and return expectations between the two companies.
See More
Comparing Kinder Morgan and NextDecade for Investment Choices
- Company Overview: Kinder Morgan operates as a backbone of North American energy infrastructure, managing nearly 78,000 miles of pipelines and 136 terminals, with a 12% revenue growth to $16.9 billion and a net income of $3.1 billion in FY 2025, showcasing its strong profitability in natural gas transportation.
- Financial Health: With a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 1.0, Kinder Morgan demonstrates a balanced capital structure, generating nearly $3.2 billion in free cash flow in FY 2025, highlighting its ability to consistently produce cash, making it suitable for conservative investors.
- NextDecade's Growth Potential: Focused on the Rio Grande LNG facility in South Texas, NextDecade targets a total capacity of approximately 48 million tonnes per annum and has secured long-term purchase agreements with 14 creditworthy customers, although it reported a net loss of $306.4 million in FY 2025 due to high development costs.
- Market Outlook: Despite facing high risks and potential construction delays, NextDecade is positioned to benefit from a projected exponential rise in LNG demand, with the Rio Grande LNG expected to become one of the world's largest LNG export terminals, attracting significant interest from major energy companies.
See More
NextDecade Appoints John Zuklic as CFO Amid Strategic Transformation
- Executive Appointment: NextDecade Corp. appointed John Zuklic as the new Chief Financial Officer effective July 6, succeeding interim CFO Mike Mott, who will return to his role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation, indicating stability and continuity in the company's leadership team.
- Market Reaction: Following the announcement, NextDecade's shares rose 1.07% in after-hours trading to $8.53, after a 2.06% increase during regular trading on Wednesday, reflecting positive market sentiment regarding the new CFO and confidence in the company's future prospects.
- Industry Experience: Zuklic brings over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, having served as CFO at Citgo Petroleum since 2020, and previously held senior finance roles at Phillip 66 and ConocoPhillips, showcasing his extensive background and leadership capabilities in the industry.
- Strategic Transformation: This appointment comes as NextDecade transitions from an LNG development company to an LNG operating company, with Zuklic's expertise expected to drive opportunities for organic growth and enhance the company's competitive position in the market.
See More
NextDecade Appoints New Chief Financial Officer
- Executive Appointment: NextDecade announced the appointment of John Zuklic as the new Chief Financial Officer effective July 6, 2026, succeeding current Interim CFO Mike Mott, who will return to his role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation, indicating a strategic shift in the executive team.
- Extensive Experience: Zuklic brings over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, having served as CFO at CITGO where he was responsible for financial strategy and recapitalization, which is expected to enhance NextDecade's financial management and risk oversight capabilities.
- Strategic Transformation: CEO Matt Schatzman stated that Zuklic's expertise will help transform NextDecade from an LNG developer into an LNG operator, leveraging his extensive industry background to drive organic growth opportunities and strengthen market competitiveness.
- Future Development: NextDecade is constructing the Rio Grande LNG liquefaction and export facility, aiming for a capacity of 48 MTPA, and Zuklic's financial leadership will support the successful implementation of this significant project, ensuring the company's long-term growth in the clean energy sector.
See More
Ripple Effect Increases Stake in NextDecade with $4.21 Million Purchase
- Share Acquisition: Ripple Effect Asset Management disclosed a purchase of 739,723 shares of NextDecade in Q1 2026, valued at approximately $4.21 million, indicating confidence in the company despite its underperformance in the market.
- Holding Position: Following this acquisition, Ripple Effect's total holdings in NextDecade rose to 1,339,723 shares, with the value increasing by $7.10 million due to stock price changes, reflecting investor expectations for future growth.
- Project Progress: NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG project is progressing well, with Trains 1 and 2 nearly 68% complete, and first gas expected to enter the facility in the second half of 2026, followed by first LNG production in the first half of 2027.
- Future Potential: The company has signed agreements for over 175 TBtu of LNG expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028, projected to generate margins exceeding $3.00 per million British Thermal Units, showcasing the potential for future profitability.
See More
NextDecade Receives Buy Rating from Citi
- Rating Upgrade: Citi initiated coverage on NextDecade (NEXT) with a Buy rating and an $11 price target, indicating that the stock provides exposure to one of the last large-scale greenfield LNG export facilities in the U.S. Gulf Coast, with U.S. LNG expected to become an increasingly sought-after commodity.
- Demand Premium Outlook: Analyst Spiro Dounis noted that extended outages in the Middle East are likely to create a demand premium for U.S. LNG in the near to medium term, suggesting significant growth potential for the industry, particularly for NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG project.
- Future Growth Potential: The current backlog at Rio Grande LNG positions NextDecade to potentially become a top four U.S. LNG exporter by the early 2030s, with the analyst believing that expansion could significantly enhance the company's market valuation.
- Profitability Enhancement: Dounis estimates that if NextDecade proceeds with Rio Grande's Train 6, the net present value could be worth $3 per share, representing over 30% accretion from current levels, while the project could drive more than 50% EBITDA upside for NextDecade.
See More
Investment Choices in Energy: Kinder Morgan vs NextDecade
- Stability of Kinder Morgan: Managing nearly 78,000 miles of pipelines, Kinder Morgan reported a 12% revenue increase to $16.9 billion in FY 2025, with a net income of $3.1 billion, showcasing its strong position and stable income stream in the U.S. natural gas market.
- Growth Potential of NextDecade: Focused on the Rio Grande LNG facility in South Texas, NextDecade targets a capacity of approximately 48 million tonnes per annum, and despite a net loss of $306.4 million in FY 2025, it has secured long-term purchase agreements with 14 customers, laying a foundation for future cash flows.
- Risk Comparison: Kinder Morgan faces minimal commodity price volatility risk due to its fee-based long-term contracts, while NextDecade must navigate construction delays and legal challenges, particularly in the development of its LNG facility.
- Valuation Differences: With a forward P/E of 21.6x, Kinder Morgan appears more attractive to conservative investors, whereas NextDecade lacks a traditional P/S ratio, indicating differing risk and return expectations between the two companies.
See More
Comparing Kinder Morgan and NextDecade for Investment Choices
- Company Overview: Kinder Morgan operates as a backbone of North American energy infrastructure, managing nearly 78,000 miles of pipelines and 136 terminals, with a 12% revenue growth to $16.9 billion and a net income of $3.1 billion in FY 2025, showcasing its strong profitability in natural gas transportation.
- Financial Health: With a debt-to-equity ratio of approximately 1.0, Kinder Morgan demonstrates a balanced capital structure, generating nearly $3.2 billion in free cash flow in FY 2025, highlighting its ability to consistently produce cash, making it suitable for conservative investors.
- NextDecade's Growth Potential: Focused on the Rio Grande LNG facility in South Texas, NextDecade targets a total capacity of approximately 48 million tonnes per annum and has secured long-term purchase agreements with 14 creditworthy customers, although it reported a net loss of $306.4 million in FY 2025 due to high development costs.
- Market Outlook: Despite facing high risks and potential construction delays, NextDecade is positioned to benefit from a projected exponential rise in LNG demand, with the Rio Grande LNG expected to become one of the world's largest LNG export terminals, attracting significant interest from major energy companies.
See More
NextDecade Appoints John Zuklic as CFO Amid Strategic Transformation
- Executive Appointment: NextDecade Corp. appointed John Zuklic as the new Chief Financial Officer effective July 6, succeeding interim CFO Mike Mott, who will return to his role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation, indicating stability and continuity in the company's leadership team.
- Market Reaction: Following the announcement, NextDecade's shares rose 1.07% in after-hours trading to $8.53, after a 2.06% increase during regular trading on Wednesday, reflecting positive market sentiment regarding the new CFO and confidence in the company's future prospects.
- Industry Experience: Zuklic brings over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, having served as CFO at Citgo Petroleum since 2020, and previously held senior finance roles at Phillip 66 and ConocoPhillips, showcasing his extensive background and leadership capabilities in the industry.
- Strategic Transformation: This appointment comes as NextDecade transitions from an LNG development company to an LNG operating company, with Zuklic's expertise expected to drive opportunities for organic growth and enhance the company's competitive position in the market.
See More
NextDecade Appoints New Chief Financial Officer
- Executive Appointment: NextDecade announced the appointment of John Zuklic as the new Chief Financial Officer effective July 6, 2026, succeeding current Interim CFO Mike Mott, who will return to his role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Transformation, indicating a strategic shift in the executive team.
- Extensive Experience: Zuklic brings over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, having served as CFO at CITGO where he was responsible for financial strategy and recapitalization, which is expected to enhance NextDecade's financial management and risk oversight capabilities.
- Strategic Transformation: CEO Matt Schatzman stated that Zuklic's expertise will help transform NextDecade from an LNG developer into an LNG operator, leveraging his extensive industry background to drive organic growth opportunities and strengthen market competitiveness.
- Future Development: NextDecade is constructing the Rio Grande LNG liquefaction and export facility, aiming for a capacity of 48 MTPA, and Zuklic's financial leadership will support the successful implementation of this significant project, ensuring the company's long-term growth in the clean energy sector.
See More
Ripple Effect Increases Stake in NextDecade with $4.21 Million Purchase
- Share Acquisition: Ripple Effect Asset Management disclosed a purchase of 739,723 shares of NextDecade in Q1 2026, valued at approximately $4.21 million, indicating confidence in the company despite its underperformance in the market.
- Holding Position: Following this acquisition, Ripple Effect's total holdings in NextDecade rose to 1,339,723 shares, with the value increasing by $7.10 million due to stock price changes, reflecting investor expectations for future growth.
- Project Progress: NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG project is progressing well, with Trains 1 and 2 nearly 68% complete, and first gas expected to enter the facility in the second half of 2026, followed by first LNG production in the first half of 2027.
- Future Potential: The company has signed agreements for over 175 TBtu of LNG expected to be delivered in 2027 and 2028, projected to generate margins exceeding $3.00 per million British Thermal Units, showcasing the potential for future profitability.
See More
NextDecade Receives Buy Rating from Citi
- Rating Upgrade: Citi initiated coverage on NextDecade (NEXT) with a Buy rating and an $11 price target, indicating that the stock provides exposure to one of the last large-scale greenfield LNG export facilities in the U.S. Gulf Coast, with U.S. LNG expected to become an increasingly sought-after commodity.
- Demand Premium Outlook: Analyst Spiro Dounis noted that extended outages in the Middle East are likely to create a demand premium for U.S. LNG in the near to medium term, suggesting significant growth potential for the industry, particularly for NextDecade's Rio Grande LNG project.
- Future Growth Potential: The current backlog at Rio Grande LNG positions NextDecade to potentially become a top four U.S. LNG exporter by the early 2030s, with the analyst believing that expansion could significantly enhance the company's market valuation.
- Profitability Enhancement: Dounis estimates that if NextDecade proceeds with Rio Grande's Train 6, the net present value could be worth $3 per share, representing over 30% accretion from current levels, while the project could drive more than 50% EBITDA upside for NextDecade.
See More
