NATCHEZ — Callon Petroleum Company recently announced it has appointed Joseph C. Gatto Jr. as senior vice president of corporate finance, effective April 2.

Gatto will be based in Callon’s Houston office and will oversee the company’s capital markets and strategic planning functions, as well as investor relations activities.

Gatto joins the company from his most recent role as principal of MarchWire Capital, LLC, a financial advisory and consulting firm.

With an extensive background providing strategic and financing advice to the energy industry, Gatto, 41, served as a managing director with both Merrill Lynch & Co. and Barclays Capital in recent years with responsibility for energy investment banking and structured commodities functions.

“We are very pleased to have Joe join our management team in this newly created position after Callon’s long relationship with him as an advisor to the company in his previous roles, Callon Chairman and CEO Fred Callon said.

“He brings 20 years of experience with a broad range of transactions that we believe will prove valuable to the successful execution of our growth initiatives in the coming years.”

Gatto began his career in the finance industry in New York after graduating from Cornell University with distinction in 1992.

He joined Merrill Lynch & Co.’s energy investment banking practice in Houston in 1997 after receiving his MBA with distinction from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Following his time with Merrill Lynch & Co., Gatto joined Barclays Capital in July 2008 to establish an investment banking office in Houston and subsequently held a senior role with Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc.