|
Bob has 32 years experience in finance and business innovation. In 1987 he founded The Catalyst Group, a niche finance company that provided financing for energy service companies nationwide that merged with International Equity Company in 1992 to become Catalyst Financial Group, Inc., a full-service investment-banking firm offering financing and strategic planning services for clients in the energy and environmental fields. Prior to forming Catalyst Bob held middle-management positions at three Wall Street brokerage firms; was the senior VP for a national financial services company, and was the Business Development Manager for one of New England's largest HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) companies. Over the past 20 years, he has been a financial advisor or investment banker to over 30 major utilities, the DOE, EPA, numerous trade associations, energy service companies and non-profit organizations as well as over 75 business ventures for projects totaling more than $1 billion. He has focused his primary attention on financing energy and water efficiency projects, and renewable energy (solar, wind, hydro, co-generation), recycling, pollution prevention and sustainable agriculture. Additionally, Bob co-founded and ran a boutique investment firm ($10 million in committed capital) that invested exclusively in energy/water efficiency and performance contracting. Bob’s particular expertise is in helping clients obtain funding from both traditional and non-traditional funders. Non-traditional funders include foundations, Federal, State, City and County revolving loan funds as well as niche funds or lending programs that are difficult to access. To aid in these efforts he has created and managed the development of proprietary funder databases for 6 major utilities and is currently creating a web based database of non-traditional funders of energy efficiency, renewables and pollution prevention projects/companies in Pennsylvania. He is considered a "thought leader" in how to arrange funding for complicated environmental projects and early stage companies and is actively involved and well respected in the socially progressive venture capital community. Bob is a frequent guest lecturer, trainer and keynote speaker on energy finance issues. He has co-authored several finance reports including E-Sources’ Strategic Memo Tracking Down the Money: A Database of Funding Sources Can Help Make Energy Projects Happen and a 33 page special report for IRT Environmental on Financing Customer Energy Efficiency. Bob has testified as an expert witness on energy financing before the Energy Subcommittee of the House of Representatives of the New Hampshire State Legislature and has served as an editor and informed information source on energy financing for numerous articles and reports in trade publications. Bob serves or has served on the Boards of several organizations including: Community Capital Bank (New York City); the Highland Expansion Fund (a $12 million socially responsible venture capital fund); Chittenden National Bank's $250 million Socially Responsible Lending Fund; Global Action Plan (a non-profit specializing in sustainable lifestyle development). He is a founding member of Investor's Circle, an invitation-only membership organization whose members have invested either individually or through their professional work over $15 billion in privately held corporations. Bob is also a co-founding member of Social Venture Network (SVN) an international business group composed of over 500 leaders in the nation’s most exemplary and cutting-edge models of socially and environmentally responsible business. Bob graduated in 1969 with honors from Pace University, NYC with a BA in psychology and minor in business. | 