Hank Torbert

He is the Founder of The Frontier Conference (www.thefrontier.co), an event focused on bringing key industrial sector leaders together to discuss and collaborate around innovation and disruptive technologies. In addition, Mr. Torbert ran IdeaVillage’s ENERGYx Accelerator in New Orleans to support emerging technology companies focused on the energy sector. Mr. Torbert was a Managing Director and Co-Founder of RLMcCall Capital Partners, a New Orleans-based private equity firm focused on building and investing in lower middle market industrials companies. Mr. Torbert co-lead deal sourcing and execution team for the firm’s transactions. Mr. Torbert has played a leading role in supporting the company during a difficult market environment for the oil and gas sector. As well, Mr. Torbert has been active in the transportation industry as an investor, operator and advisor. He is currently focused on building a new marine transport company serving international mining and energy clients and headquartered in Louisiana. He also has served as a board director and Chairman of two middle market transportation companies. Moreover, he has deep contacts in the aviation and logistics sectors. In 2011, during a very difficult and distressed business environment, Mr. Torbert also orchestrated the acquisition of two distressed assets in the aviation sector, Direct Air and Swift Air, with a plan to restructure both companies. Mr. Torbert served as Chairman of Swift Air, a passenger and cargo charter airline that was spun out of Swift Transportation. Under his leadership, the company was successfully reorganized and sold in 2013 to another private investor group. Throughout his career, Mr. Torbert has focused on investing in and enhancing early venture and middle market companies, notably in the context of roll up and platform company opportunities. As a founding investor and board member, Mr. Torbert played an integral role in the launch, development and $100MM Initial Public Offering of Mood Media (TSX: “MM”), a music services company serving retailers and other high traffic real estate. In conjunction with management, Mr. Torbert executed Fluid Music's acquisition of Trusonic, Inc., which enabled the company to access the public equity market and expand in 2008. In addition, he has played a vital role in the formation and growth of several other middle market-sized companies, including Midas Medici (OTB: "MMED"). Prior to his own private equity efforts, Mr. Torbert served as Chief Operating Officer of Broadcast Capital, a firm focused on investing in media and broadcasting sectors from 2004 - 2006. He focused on managing the company's portfolio assets and expanding the investment mandate to include new media. Mr. Torbert oversaw the firm’s operations and investment portfolio. From 1999 to 2004, Mr. Torbert was an investment banker at JPMorgan Chase. He served as a Vice President of the Financial Sponsor Group, Middle Market Banking, at JPMorgan Chase Bank (a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase), where he was a member of a four-person team that covered the firm’s top tier middle market private equity clients. He was responsible for sourcing and financing private equity investment opportunities for financial sponsors investing in the middle market, with a special industry focus on media, transportation, healthcare, and consumer products transactions. Additionally, he completed over $100 billion in transactions in the media and telecommunications industry as a senior associate in the Equity Capital Markets Group, at JPMorgan Securities. Mr. Torbert also has held positions at AIG Capital Partners, where he focused on analyzing global private equity investments and on raising capital for the firm’s $1 billion Global Emerging Markets Fund. In addition, Mr. Torbert serves as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and New Orleans’ oldest start-up incubator, The IdeaVillage. Mr. Torbert is deeply involved in supporting entrepreneurship and economic development in New Orleans through his volunteer efforts for Greater New Orleans, Inc., the leading regional economic development organization. As well, Mr. Torbert speaks regularly at industry seminars on venture capital, oil & gas, disruptive technologies and other sector investment-related topics and is a recipient of the Network Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award. Mr. Torbert is also deeply committed to issues related to education, the arts and homelessness. He is a board member of Cultural DC and New Orleans’ Contemporary Arts Center, both of which are focused on increasing access to and the awareness of fine arts. Mr. Torbert holds a B.A. from Columbia University. He earned both a masters degree in International Finance and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. Mr. Torbert is also an alumnus and Trustee of the Taft School.