HOUSTON, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Lime Rock Partners, growth investors in the upstream energy industry, today announces the recent promotion of Benjamin Burns to Managing Director. Mr. Burns joins Andrew Gautier-Winther, who was promoted in 2024, as two of the seven leaders of the Lime Rock Partners strategy.
Jeffrey Scofield, Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Lime Rock Partners team, said, “Both Ben and Andrew have been with the Lime Rock Partners team almost their entire careers, as is the case of our other senior leaders. Seeing their hard work, investment insights, connections in the energy industry, and deep relationship with management teams blossom has been incredibly gratifying to watch—and benefit from. They were already leaders and key contributors on the team, and their new titles just reflect that reality.”
Mr. Burns joined the Lime Rock Partners team in 2014 as an associate, following working at Barclays as an analyst in the global energy group. He has played a growing leadership role in all investments related to the CrownQuest relationship: the growth and exit of CrownRock, the CrownRock Minerals entities, Silvertip, and Basin. He has also played a key role in other E&P and oilfield service investments and currently sits on the board of directors of A&B Valve, Axis Energy Services, and RTS.
Also at year-end, Will Franklin retired from the Lime Rock Partners team. Mr. Franklin joined Lime Rock when it had 12 total employees, two funds, and one strategy and served as a managing director for the last 16 years of his career at the firm. He led investments in both the E&P and oilfield service, with particular leadership of GEODynamics, UTEC, U.S. Exploration, PDC Mountaineer, Hercules Offshore, and Shelf Drilling. Mr. Franklin has had a growing interest in public service and expects to dedicate more of his time to civic activities.
John Reynolds, co-founder of Lime Rock, said, “Will has been a great partner and key element of Lime Rock’s history for almost our entire 26 years. He will be missed daily, but we are very excited about his ability to contribute his talents and foresight to the public sphere.”
Since its inception in 1998, Lime Rock Management has raised over $10.0 billion in private equity funds and affiliated co-investment vehicles for investment in the energy industry through three strategies: Lime Rock Partners, investors of growth capital in E&P and oilfield services companies; Lime Rock Resources, acquirers and operators of oil and gas properties in the United States; and Lime Rock New Energy, investors of growth capital in products and services companies in the energy transition. Lime Rock Partners is a creative investment partner in building differentiated oil and gas businesses, side by side, with entrepreneurs every day. The Lime Rock Partners team brings together specialist finance and operating expertise, technology leadership, people-centered strategies, and patient hard work with the goal of helping its investors and portfolio company partners profit from operational growth. For more information, please visit: www.lrpartners.com.
SOURCE LIME ROCK PARTNERS