E. Javier Loya

Enrique Javier Loya[2] (born February 2, 1969) is a Mexican-American business entrepreneur and former college football player. He is a minority owner of the NFL's Houston Texans.[3] Loya is also the co-founder of independent commodity broker OTC Global Holdings.[4][5]

E. Javier Loya
NationalityMexican-American
Other namesJavier Loya
Alma materColumbia University[1]
OccupationChairman and CEO of OTC Global Holdings
Years active2007–present
Known forCEO of OTC Global Holdings, Minority Owner of Houston Texans
Spouse(s)Lucinda Vincent-Loya
Children2

Education and family

Loya was raised in El Paso, Texas as the second-youngest of seven children.[6] His father worked at a Farah Manufacturing Co. plant and taught his children to prioritize education.[6] Loya graduated from New York City’s Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1991.[7] Loya married Lucinda Vincent (Now Lucinda Vincent-Loya) and has 2 children.[7][8]

Football career

Loya played for the Columbia Lions as a linebacker and a defensive end throughout his academic career at Columbia University.[9][10][11] He was a varsity letterman in all three of his varsity seasons[11] and was named an Honorable Mention All-Ivy League Selection in 1990.[12] He is tied with several other players for the fourth-most career fumble recoveries while playing for the Columbia Lions.[12]

Career

Choice! Energy LP

In 1994, Loya co-founded Choice! Energy LP with two partners. Choice was an energy brokerage firm specializing in natural gas.[13][14][15]

In 2000, Loya purchased control of the company from his partners.[7]

After Texas deregulated the power market in 2002, Loya launched a new firm, Choice Energy Services. As the sole owner of Choice Energy Services, Loya expanded the company's services from wholesale markets to retail commodities management.[16][17]

In 2015, Loya’s company, Choice Energy, filed a lawsuit against 9 of their brokers for breach of contract. The 9 brokers filed a countersuit claiming they were forced to resign due to unpaid commissions and hostile work environment. All but one broker settled out of court.[18]

Houston Texans

In 2002, Loya became the first Hispanic owner in the NFL after he purchased a minority stake in the Houston Texans.[3] Loya was one of 10 investors in the Houston Texans.[19][20][21][22][23][24]

During the Choice Energy lawsuit, Javier was accused of being a high-stakes gambler, which sparked an investigation from the NFL due to Javier’s ownership of the Houston Texans. According to the NFL Ownership Guidelines, it is a violation for owners or employees of any NFL team to take part in any gambling.[18][25]

OTC Global Holdings

In 2007, Loya co-founded OTC Global Holdings as a commodity brokerage that initially acquired Choice Natural Gas, Choice Power, and Choice Energy. OTC Global Holdings has grown to serve over 450 institutional clients in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.[26][27][4][28][29][5]

Litigation

In late December 2019, John Klosek, one of the founding members of OTC Global Holdings, filed a lawsuit against the CEO Javier Loya, COO Joseph Kelly, and several employees. The lawsuit was over extravagant personal spending decreasing the company's value to a negative net worth.[30] Loya and the other accusees denied the allegations.[30][31] The claims state the defendants have embezzled over millions of dollars from OTC Global Holdings for personal use. The lawsuit is currently on-going.[32][33]

Veneno Tequila

In September 2019, Loya, his wife Lucinda, and several Houston entrepreneurs launched a tequila brand called Veneno Tequila. Actor Danny Trejo was the first person to introduce and drink a bottle of Veneno Tequila.[34][35][36]

Other activities

Loya has served on the Board of Regents for Texas Southern University as well as other charitable foundations across Houston.[37][38][39]

Philanthropy

Loya is a sponsor and member of the board of directors for the Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase, a charitable organization that organizes high school football scouting events. The organization has provided over $100 million in scholastic aid to over 3,000 participants since 2008.[11][40][41][42]

In 2011, Loya founded the Greater El Paso Football Showcase Combine, which provided over $9 million in scholarships to over 100 high school senior athletes.[3][11][43][44]

Awards
  • In 2002, Loya received the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award from the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.[45][14][46]
  • In 2004, Loya was named “Hispanic Businessman of the Year” by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.[8]
  • In 2004, Javier was also given the John Jay Award for distinguished professional achievement by his former university, Columbia University.[47][48][49]
  • In 2007, Javier received the “Emerging Leader” Award from the Greater Houston Partnership.[50]
  • In 2010, Javier received the “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award from Ernst & Young.[8][21]
  • In 2017, Loya was honored as a distinguished graduate by the Ivy Football Association at its bi-annual dinner at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.[11][51]

References
  1. "Javier Loya interview from 2015 Connects in Houston". Columbia Alumni Association. August 3, 2016.
  2. "The perfect combination". Smart Business. June 26, 2009.
  3. "Part-owner of Houston Texans still giving back to El Paso's student-athletes". KVIA ABC-7. December 14, 2017.
  4. "Q&A: Market volatility a way of life for commodities broker". Houston Chronicle. April 26, 2017.
  5. Rutledge, Tanya (May 2, 2010). "Brokering options for growth: OTC Global Holdings". Houston Business Journal.
  6. Robertson, Dale (May 9, 2002). "Robertson: Energetic trader Loya personifies American dream". Houston Chronicle.
  7. Cabral, Elena (January 2003). "FEATURES - Javier Loya '91". Columbia College.
  8. "Lucinda and Javier Loya". The Social Book - Houston.
  9. "College Football; Lions Edge the Tigers With a Fierce Defense". New York Times. October 28, 1990.
  10. "5 More Reasons to Celebrate Columbia Athletics". Columbia Magazine. Spring 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  11. "Ivy Football Association Honors Javier Loya". Columbia University. January 26, 2017.
  12. "2018 Columbia Football Record Book". NCAA. 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  13. Wollam, Allison (November 24, 2002). "Building on a choice". Houston Business Journal.
  14. Phillips, Bruce (February 26, 2003). "Loya Named Hispanic Male Entrepreneur of the Year". Hispanic Engineer.
  15. Goodman, Leah McGrath (July 2, 2007). "Power In Energy Trading Shifts to Smaller Brokers". Wall Street Journal.
  16. Martin, Joe (October 5, 2016). "Houston power co. to go on hiring spree, move headquarters". Houston Business Journal.
  17. "Moneymakers: Javier Loya". Houston Chronicle. August 11, 2004.
  18. McClain, John (February 16, 2008). "NFL Probes Allegation Against Texans Partner".
  19. Easton, Pam (March 26, 2002). "Hispanic businessman becomes newest investor in Texans". My Plainview.
  20. Wilson, Aaron (May 19, 2020). "NFL owners table proposal to incentivize hiring minorities, expand Rooney Rule". Houston Chronicle.
  21. Wilson, Aaron (June 22, 2020). "Summit seeks to widen NFL opportunities for minorities". Houston Chronicle.
  22. Trotter, Jim (June 23, 2020). "Coaching Summit offers positives, but major diversity issues remain". NFL.com. NFL.
  23. "Texans' minority owner defends Bob McNair and players". abc13.com. ABC 13 News. October 31, 2017.
  24. Breer, Albert (June 18, 2020). "Quarterback Coaching Summit Aims to Create Opportunity for Black NFL Coaches".
  25. Abelson, Max (October 14, 2008). "What a Gas! Texas Mogul Streams $4.3 M. to Moby and Pals for Stuy Square Spread". Observer.
  26. "History & Timeline". OTC Global Holdings.
  27. "Bloomberg: Javier Loya Business Profile". Bloomberg.
  28. "Commodity Broker of the Year: OTC Global Holdings". Risk.net. May 10, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  29. "Nicholas Ernst joins Choice Natural Gas as Director of Weather Markets". Artemis. May 31, 2013.
  30. "San Antonio Express News Co-Owner Sues Houston Brokerage". San Antonio Express-News. December 19, 2019.
  31. Tisma (December 19, 2019). "Raw materials: the castle life of the managers of a broker on the verge of bankruptcy". Financial Investor.
  32. Bair, Jeffrey (December 17, 2019). "CEO's $17,000 Birthday Party Spurs Commodity Brokerage Lawsuit". Bloomberg News.
  33. "Partner sues commodities broker for clocking up expenses". Financial Times. December 18, 2019.
  34. Hodge, Shelby (September 21, 2019). "This Texans Party Turns Into a Red Hot Tequila Launch With Moguls, Beautiful People and Pro Athletes". Paper City.
  35. de Luna, Marcy (December 2, 2019). "Texans vs. Patriots tailgate party doubles as tequila launch". Houston Chronicle.
  36. Hodge, Shelby (September 21, 2020). "Electric Tequila Party in River Oaks District Shows Chic Houstonians Aren't Afraid to Have Fun". Paper City.
  37. Tresauge, Matthew (May 10, 2007). "Perry picks 5 appointees to reshape TSU". Houston Chronicle.
  38. "Senate confirms new Texas Southern regents". The Eagle. May 12, 2007.
  39. Kamara, Margaret (May 14, 2007). "Texas Southern Takes Step Back to Stability". Diverse.
  40. "Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase Board of Directors". Greater Houston Senior Football Showcase. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  41. "Second-chance athletic showcase turns $5,000 budget into $12 million in scholarships". Houston Independent School District. February 6, 2015.
  42. "NFF High School Showcases Expand Impact". South Florida Tribune. February 10, 2019.
  43. Deaver, Colin (December 20, 2019). "915 Showcase Combine gives El Paso players a shot at next level". KTSM.
  44. Kaplwitz, Steve (September 14, 2011). "Kappy's Corner". What's Up.
  45. Kaplan, David (September 28, 2002). "Hispanic male entrepreneur of the year says system works". Houston Chronicle.
  46. "Hispanic Chamber to host reception for CHOICE! Energy's Javier Loya". The Monitor. October 26, 2003.
  47. "JOHN JAY AWARDS". Columbia University Alumni Association. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  48. Palladino, Lisa. "John Jay Awards To Honor Alumni, Parent". Columbia College Today. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  49. "University will honor successful Burges grad". El Paso, Texas. February 28, 2004.
  50. "DeBakey honored as one of 'Houston's Greatest'". Houston Chronicle. December 12, 2007.
  51. "Robert W. Pangia '73 To Be Honored By Ivy Football Association". Brown University Athletics. September 9, 2016.
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