J. Ross Craft

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

J. Ross Craft, P.E. has been our Chief Executive Officer and member of our Board since our inception in September 2002, and served as our President from 2002 until January 2017. In November 2014, Mr. Craft was named Chairman of the Board. Before Approach, Mr. Craft co-founded Athanor Resources Inc., an international exploration and production company with operations in the United States and Tunisia, in 1998 and was its Executive Vice President from 1998 until its merger with Nuevo Energy Company in September 2002.

From 1988 to 1997, Mr. Craft served in various positions with American Cometra Inc., an independent exploration and production company with operations in the United States, including as Vice President – Operations from 1995 to 1997. American Cometra was sold in two parts, to Range Resources in 1995 and to Pioneer Natural Resources in 1997.

Mr. Craft has more than 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. He holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University and is a registered Professional Engineer licensed in Texas. Mr. Craft is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Texas Oil & Gas Association, the Permian Basin Petroleum Association and Independent Petroleum Association of America. Mr. Craft currently serves on the Texas A&M University Petroleum Engineering Industry Board and has served on the Board of the Fort Worth chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and on the Board of the Fort Worth Petroleum Engineers Club, where his last position was President.

In 2012, Mr. Craft was named a regional winner for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for Southwest Area North. Mr. Craft is also an Eagle Scout.