Lance Schneier

Lecturer of Management & Human Resources

Biography

Lance has 35 years of experience in energy deregulation, marketing and technology as an attorney, entrepreneur, senior executive and venture capitalist.  In 1975 he began practicing energy and communications regulatory law and corporate law at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in Columbus, Ohio.  In 1979, Schneier authored a law journal article positing open access for the interstate natural gas pipeline network. That article is cited as an early contributor to the creation of today's energy marketing and trading industry.

In 1982 he became a partner in the firm but left shortly thereafter to start Yankee Resources, Inc., generally regarded as the first independent retail energy marketing company. Yankee Resources was renamed Access Energy following his management-led buyout with Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in 1988.  Lance and DLJ sold Access Energy to Enron Corp. in 1992.  At the time Access had $300 million in revenue, 125 employees and over 30,000 customers in 30 states.  He led Enron Access Energy until 1996, at which time he began assisting others in the development of energy technology companies.

In 2002 Schneier created his second retail energy marketing company, Accent Energy, by purchasing certain retail energy contracts from the Enron bankruptcy, with the financial participation of a private equity firm. After growing Accent to over 125,000 customers he sold the company to IGS Energy in 2010.

Lance has lectured frequently on the impact and opportunities created by deregulation, particularly in the energy, communications and financial services industries.  He assisted the New York Mercantile Exchange in the formation and launching of its natural gas futures contract, culminating in participating in the first trade of that contract in 1990.

Mr. Schneier is a 1971 graduate of College of Business Administration, The Ohio State University and received his J.D. degree cum laude in 1974 from the University of Miami School of Law.  He is an instructor at the Fisher School of Business at Ohio State, where he teaches an MBA course he created, Government Regulation and Business Strategy.  Mr. Schneier was a national finalist for the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Lance resides in Dublin, Ohio with his wife Sue.  Together they have six grown children and five grandchildren.