David Lawler ’90

David Lawler ’90

Appointed January 1, 2022
Term expires December 31, 2025

David C. Lawler ’90
Chairman and President of bp America, Inc.
Chief Executive Officer of bpx energy 

Board Participation 

• Executive Committee of the American Petroleum Institute 
• Board of Directors of Permian Strategic Partnership 
• Board of Directors of Mewbourne College of Petroleum Engineering, University of Oklahoma 

Age: 53 

Nationality: USA 

Chairman & President, bp America: 

Dave Lawler is Chairman and President of bp America and serves as bp’s chief representative in the United States. With nearly 10,000 employees and $130+ billion in US capital investments since 2005, bp has a larger economic footprint in the US than anywhere in the world. 

Dave leads the collective efforts of bp’s US businesses as they progress toward the company’s net zero ambition. This includes supporting bp’s corporate shift into an integrated energy company by collaborating with the US leadership team to produce resilient and focused hydrocarbons, expand the company’s presence in convenience and mobility, and increase investments in low-carbon electricity and energy. 

Dave’s role on the Executive Committee of the American Petroleum Institute and his service as a Director of the Permian Strategic Partnership are critical to bp continuing to advocate for policies that advance the company and the world toward net zero by 2050 or sooner. 

CEO, bpx energy: 

Dave also serves as CEO of bpx energy, bp’s onshore energy team in the US, a business he has led since 2014. In 2018, Dave led the $10.5 billion acquisition of BHP’s onshore assets, the largest acquisition for bp’s US onshore business in more than 20 years. In his role at bpx energy Dave guides the team to deliver resilient, high-margin hydrocarbons from premium positions in Texas and Louisiana. Under his leadership, bpx recently committed to reaching zero routine flaring in its US onshore operations by 2025 – this is an opportunity to build on bpx energy’s recent success reducing the flaring intensity in its Permian Basin assets from 16% in 2019 to 2% in 2021. 

Previous career & background: 

Dave joined bpx in 2014 from SandRidge Energy, a US-based oil and gas independent, where he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. For four years prior to SandRidge, Dave was chief executive officer and president of PostRock Energy Corporation and its predecessor entities. A 30-year veteran of the energy industry, he began his career as a production engineer with Conoco and as a drilling engineer with Burlington Resources. He also worked with Shell for 10 years in its US Gulf Coast Business Unit. 

A Denver native, Dave graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a Bachelor of Science in petroleum engineering before earning an MBA from Tulane University.