Steven A. Webster

Co-Managing Partner and Co-CEO, Avista Capital Partners

Steven A. Webster, a member of Laredo Energy’s board of directors, is a managing director of Avista Capital Partners, a private equity group that invests in growth-oriented energy, healthcare, media, industrial and consumer companies. He is also the founder of Falcon Drilling Company, which became R&R Falcon following Falcon’s merger with Reading & Bates, and Cliffs Drilling. Mr. Webster served as CEO and vice chairman of R&B Falcon, a major off-shore drilling rig provider, until its acquisition in 2001 by Transocean Sedco Forex.

He is a graduate of Purdue University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Information Management with High Distinction, before moving on to become a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School, where he received a Master of Business Administration with Distinction. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Management degree from Purdue University in 2009, and presently serves on the advisory board to Purdue’s Krannert School and the University’s Development Board.

Before co-founding Avista Capital in 2005, Mr. Webster was chairman of Global Energy Partners, a specialty group within DLJ Merchant Banking. He is currently chairman of Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRZO), an oil and gas exploration and production company that he co-founded. He became chairman of Carrizo when the company was publicly listed in 1997.

In addition to Laredo Energy, Mr. Webster serves as a director of a number of energy-related companies, including Grey Wolf (ASE: GW), Hercules Offshore (Nasdaq: HERO), Laramie, Royal Offshore and Seacor Holdings (NYSE: CKH), and Peregrine Oil & Gas.