Ralph Eads III is vice chairman of Jefferies LLC, a U.S. investment bank, where he leads the firm's global energy practice. The firm has been at the forefront of financing the North American oil and gas boom, pioneering the joint venture model and the entry by non-US companies into North America. Since 2007, Jefferies has completed 50 transactions for an aggregate of $170 billion. Eads previously worked at El Paso Corp.; Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette; and S.G. Warburg & Co. He has served on the board of Duke University since 2009. He recently served as a trustee of St. George's School in Newport, R.I., and has been active in the Nature Conservancy of Texas, the Houston Ballet, The Kinkaid School Foundation and Small Steps Nurturing Center.