TEAM BIOGRAPHY

Jim Turner has spent nearly his entire career working in private equity or helping to manage private equity backed companies. He started his career at JP Morgan Chase (fka Chemical Bank) as an associate in the Leverage Finance Division in New York City. He then was a Principal at Ardshiel Inc., a private equity firm in New York City with over $300 million under management. Jim was then Managing Director and Co-Founder of Buffalo Capital Partners a lower middle market private equity firm in Houston.

He also was CEO of Elaine Turner Designs, a vertically integrated designer and retailer of women’s fashion. Most recently, he was a Partner and EVP of Business Development at TIP Excise, LLC a niche tax consulting firm. 

Jim received a BA from Amherst College where he was a member of the Hockey and Golf teams. He is actively involved in several charities primarily supporting children with autism and special needs, honoring his daughter. He is a Board Member of TFF, a charitable foundation focused on supporting at risk families.

Thomas Schuenemann is an Associate at Deerwood Advisors, where he supports the firm’s advisory engagements across mergers & acquisitions, capital raises, and strategic financial advisory for middle-market clients. Prior to joining Deerwood Advisors, Thomas was an Analyst on the finance team at Terra Energy Partners, a private equity backed oil and gas company. During his tenure at Terra, he played an integral role in evaluating M&A opportunities, financial planning and analysis, and assisted in the company’s strategic sale process.

Thomas began his career in corporate banking at Cadence Bank and last served as an Associate, where he focused on underwriting debt facilities, credit analysis, and capital structure assessment for sponsor-backed and middle-market clients. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Real Estate Finance from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas. 

Robert Whilden is currently Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at Mako Industries, a role he assumed in 2023. Previously, Mr. Whilden was EVP of Corporate Development at TIP Excise, LLC, a niche tax consulting business. Before TIP Excise, Mr. Whilden was a Managing Director at OFS Energy Fund, a private equity fund with over $300 million in committed capital. Prior to OFS, Mr. Whilden was an EVP with Continental Energy Services, a pipeline construction and maintenance company.

Before CES, Mr. Whilden was a Managing Partner at Boss Corp., a private equity group formed in 2005 that employed a single investment buy-and-build mandate with an active management strategy. Prior to Boss Corp., Mr. Whilden was Director and Co-Founder of Buffalo Capital Partners, a lower middle market private equity firm in Houston. Mr. Whilden began his career in investment banking with Jefferies & Company and later with RBC Capital Markets.

Mr. Whilden has served on a number of private company boards, as well as on the board of the Trotter Family Young Men’s Christian Association, a non-profit organization. Mr. Whilden earned a B.B.A. in Finance from The University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. and J.D. from the University of Houston. Mr. Whilden is a licensed attorney in the State of Texas.

Ted Hobart is a Partner at Blue Ocean Capital Partners, where he plays a leading role in driving corporate investment strategy and delivering long-term value for institutional clients and strategic partners. With a career spanning three decades in private equity, venture capital, and investment advisory services, Ted brings deep expertise in identifying high-growth opportunities, structuring complex transactions, and supporting portfolio company growth.

Prior to joining Blue Ocean Capital Partners, Ted was a Partner at Chart Venture Partners, where he focused on investment opportunities across communications, materials science, and energy sectors and served on several portfolio company boards. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at The Carlyle Group’s venture and growth investment team, where he was responsible for both fundraising and investment activities, and at 4C Ventures and Paul Capital Partners, where he specialized in venture and secondary private equity investments. Ted began his career in leveraged lending at Chemical Bank (now a part of J.P. Morgan Chase) in New York.

Ted holds an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Williams College.

Drew Quartapella is a Strategic Advisor at Deerwood Advisors and brings more than 30 years of middle market mergers and acquisitions experience as an advisor, board member, and principal investor across a variety of industries. Drew currently serves as a Managing Member of FMQ Partners, a private equity investment vehicle. Over the course of his career, he has led and advised on transactions representing more than $10 billion in aggregate enterprise value. He was a founder and Managing Partner of Edgeview Partners and BlackArch Partners, two leading middle market M&A advisory firms with a national presence based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also helped facilitate the sale of both organizations to Fortune 500 financial institutions and led the businesses following those transactions.

Earlier in his career, Drew served as Chief Financial Officer and a board member of W-H Energy Services in Houston, where he supported the company's growth through internal expansion and numerous acquisitions. He began his career in the Houston office of Arthur Andersen & Co.

Drew earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Houston and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. He currently serves on the board of The University of Houston and A Pup Above, a nonprofit based in Austin, Texas. He is also active in community and nonprofit leadership throughout the Carolinas, previously serving on the board of multiple nonprofit organizations.