Robert L. Cavnar
President & Chief Executive Officer
Robert L. Cavnar served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mission Resources from August 2002 until July 2005 when Mission was merged with Petrohawk Energy Corporation. During his tenure at Mission, Mr. Cavnar led the recovery of the company’s financial strength through balance sheet restructuring and realignment of producing properties. During this time, market capitalization rose from approximately $13 million in August 2002 to approximately $350 million at the merger. Prior to Mission, Mr. Cavnar held various positions from June 1996 until August 2002 at El Paso Corporation including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of El Paso Field Services, and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of El Paso Production Company. During this time, he led several restructurings of business units at the company, as well as coordinating the transition and integration of several business units for merger transactions including Sonat and Coastal Corporation. Prior to El Paso, Mr. Cavnar was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cornerstone Natural Gas, a Dallas based natural gas gathering and processing company.
Mr. Cavnar began working with Mr. Piacenti at Cornerstone in June 1993, when the company was in bankruptcy as Endevco Corporation. Mr. Cavnar wrote and defended the business plan during pre-packaged Chapter 11 proceedings in late 1993. The plan was successful with the stock rising from $0.78 per share in June 1993 to $6.00 per share when Cornerstone was merged with El Paso Field Services in June 1996. From late 1989 until June 1993, Mr. Cavnar served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President and Treasurer of Mountain Gas Resources, a Denver based gatherer and processor, and its predecessor, Presidio Gas Resources. He played a key role in the start-up of Mountain Gas in 1989, when he was manager of Corporate Finance with Presidio Oil, and remained active through the sale of Mountain to the Morgan Stanley Leveraged Equity Fund and until its ultimate sale to Western Gas Resources in 1993. From 1987 until 1989, Mr. Cavnar served as an Associate in the Global Energy Group of the Chase Manhattan Bank in New York. From 1975 until 1986, Mr. Cavnar served in various field operation positions drilling, completing, and producing oil and gas wells, as well as in pipeline and gas plant construction and operation. Mr. Cavnar earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s degree in business administration from Southern Methodist University.
