Jim Bethmann Managing Partner
THE CALDWELL PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL

Jim Bethmann’s counsel is sought after worldwide as a result of both his hands-on operational leadership experience and his executive recruiting expertise in the technology, aerospace and defense, and industrial sectors.

Before joining The Caldwell Partners International, Jim was with Heidrick & Struggles as their Global Managing Partner of the firm’s Hardware and Systems Sector within the Technology Practice. He was also an active member of the Aerospace/Defense and Aviation Practice and Board of Directors Practice, as well as the Marketing and CIO functional practices.

Jim was previously a Vice Chairman of Highland Partners, as well as Global Leader of the firm’s Technology/IT Services and Industrial sectors. Before joining Highland Partners, he was a Managing Director at Korn/Ferry International and co-led the firm’s Advanced Technology Practice in North America, where he established and led the firm’s first Software and Emerging Technologies Practice. He also vice chaired the firm’s e-business strategy and search initiatives. Prior to joining Korn/Ferry, Jim led the Southwest Technology Practice of another major executive search firm. Jim’s clients have included AMS, BAE Systems, BEA, Compaq, Dell, E&Y, i2, Monster, PeopleSoft, Perot Systems, Philips, Reynolds & Reynolds, Tektronix, Telcordia, Vignette and Yahoo.

Prior to executive search, Jim served as a corporate officer and a president of Recognition International, a leading international systems supplier of high-performance document recognition systems, image and workflow software solutions, where he also lived, built and led businesses in the Americas, the Pacific Rim (Tokyo & Singapore) and Europe (London).

Jim is frequently quoted in business and industry publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Red Herring, CBS MarketWatch, Computer World and Financial Executive. He is also a sought-after speaker and moderator at industry events, most notably the annual CEO Summit in Pebble Beach and the Staffing Industry Executive Forum.

Jim sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards, including Telecommunications Systems, Inc. (TSYS) and The Lumen Institute. He is also currently the president of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association in North Texas and a former national board trustee. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Navy Lieutenant Commander.

Bruce Hamilton President
FUELCO LLC

Bruce Hamilton is President of Fuelco, a privately held Limited Liability Company owned by AmerenUE, Luminant, and Pacific Gas & Electric. Fuelco manages the global fuel supply for its owners’ nuclear power plants in Missouri, Texas, and California. The uranium procured by Fuelco produces enough electricity for five million American homes.

Mr. Hamilton has a background of managing technologically complex nuclear ventures and leading mid-size organizations. He has represented his company’s interests in sensitive strategic programs and projects which have contained both technically intricate and politically nuanced elements. Immediately prior to becoming President of Fuelco, he held various management positions at Luminant’s Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant.

Before joining TXU (now Luminant) in 2003, Mr. Hamilton served as a naval officer for over twenty-four years, retiring as a Captain in 2002. While on active duty, he had assignments in nuclear-powered cruisers and aircraft carriers, he commanded the destroyer USS John Paul Jones in the Persian Gulf, and he served as Reactor Officer for the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz during the ship’s mid-life refueling overhaul, startup certification, and 2001 home-port shift from Virginia to California. In the mid-1990s, he worked at Headquarters, United States European Command as Policy Desk Officer for the former Yugoslavia where he covered the war in Bosnia and participated in the Dayton Peace Accords negotiations.

Mr. Hamilton holds a B.S. from Texas A&M University, an M.A. from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, a graduate degree from the Naval War College, and a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy. He is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas, and while at Comanche Peak, he held a Senior Reactor Operator license with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In the community, Mr. Hamilton conceived, planned and executed the 2005 merger which created the 3600 member World Affairs Council of Dallas / Fort Worth. The organization was subsequently awarded Most Vibrant Council in the United States. He continues to serve as a Director on the Board and is immediate past Vice Chairman. Mr. Hamilton is an active member of the Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, and he serves as a Director on the Board of the Texas Aggie Band Association. A native Texan, he resides in Tarrant County with his wife, the former Cynthia Lee Cook of Billings, Montana, and their children, Elizabeth and Bradford.

Pierre Koshakji Senior Managing Director and Co-founder
STREAM ENERGY

Pierre is Senior Managing Director and Co-founder of Stream Energy, an energy provider presently offering service in Texas and Georgia. Pierre has worked to grow Stream Energy’s position as a leader among energy companies and electrical providers. With close to 1200% growth in its first four years of business, Stream Energy has positioned itself as a key player in the market. The company has received many awards, most recently placing #18 (Inc Magazine) among the fastest growing companies nationwide.

Before co-founding Stream Energy, Pierre Koshakji had earned many years of experience as a chief start-up and turn-around executive. During that time Pierre was associated with various private and publicly-held enterprises, including as Director of Business Development for Unity Hunt Resources of Dallas during the mid-1990s, as President of Odyssey Pictures Corporation (a publicly-traded Los Angeles film distributor) from 1998 through 2000 and as President of Edge Technology Group (a publicly-traded Dallas based technology incubator) from 2000 to 2001. He began his career as an electrical engineer with Electrospace Systems of Richardson, Texas in the mid-1980s and later transitioned into business and management consulting with the Dallas office of KPMG Peat Marwick Dallas in the early 1990s.

Mr. Koshakji has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University as well as a Master in Business Administration degree from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He lives in Dallas with his wife Maureen, and five growing boys.

Andrew Love
Founder & Principal
VANTAGECAP PARTNERS

Andy Love is founder and principal at VantageCap Partners. The company is a private investment firm that invests in and actively manages small to middle-market private companies. VantageCap Partners was formed by a team of experienced investors and entrepreneurs with the express goal of unlocking the hidden value that often exists in these companies.

Prior to founding VantageCap Partners, Andy was a founding team member of Broadband Venture Partners (BVP), a Dallas based private equity firm focused on growth capital investments in the telecommunications and enterprise software industries. At BVP, Andy worked extensively with Telecom Technologies Inc., acquired by Sonus Networks Inc. (SONS); VeriCenter, Inc., acquired by SunGard Data Systems Inc.; and numerous other BVP portfolio companies. Andy’s experience also includes working with top management of other entrepreneurial growth companies, including Informative, Inc., acquired by Satmetrix Systems Inc. Earlier in his career, Andy was with Bain & Company, where he worked to solve complex strategic and operational issues for Fortune 1000 companies.
Andy holds a BA in Plan II Honors, magna cum laude, from The University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated with Phi Beta Kappa honors and departmental distinction. He also holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an MA from Stanford University. Andy is Co-President of the Dallas Chapter of the Stanford GSB Alumni Association and is a Board Member of the University of Texas Silver Spurs Alumni Association.

Dan McArthur Director
EXECUTIVE EDGE

McArthur has 30 years professional services firm leadership and consulting experience including National Director & International Center of Excellence Leader at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (formally Coopers & Lybrand). His book – Outcome Management – Redesigning your Business Systems to achieve your Vision is a recommend read by top business schools and describes his “dual track” management approach that has enabled businesses of all sizes and industry segments globally to reach never before attained performance.

McArthur continues in an active role with both private and public companies. He has been a capital intermediary where he directed investments in a wide range of small to mid tier companies and provided them with advisory services in strategy formulation, investor readiness preparation, business model development, acquisitions/divestures, strategic partnership negotiations and structuring all kinds of debt and equity financing. McArthur serves on the board of Executive-Edge a leading state of art advisory service firm specializing in business value enhancement and growth.

During his business career McArthur has been involved in national professional association leadership and currently serves his community as President of his homeowners association. A life- long physical fitness enthusiast he serves as a role model for his family who are accomplished athletes and scholars.

McArthur holds a BS Degree from Va Tech and MBA from Xavier University.

Denis Simon Senior Executive Vice President
CHALLENGER, GRAY AND CHRISTMAS

Denis is a high-energy executive with corporate and community leadership expertise. As Senior Executive Vice President of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., he has been with the company for over 20 years. Denis is based in Dallas with responsibility for offices throughout the Southern U.S.

Denis joined Challenger, Gray & Christmas in 1987 from Club Corp, where he served as C.P.O. & Board Member. Previously, he was Corporate Director of Personnel and Labor Relations for Zale Corporation and Manager of Headquarters Personnel for Frito-Lay, Inc., both of Dallas.

Denis earned his M.B.A. from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1973 and his B.S. in Labor Economics and Personnel Management from The Ohio State University. He has worked on an ad hoc basis as an adjunct professor in the business schools with the Graduate Business Schools: University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Dallas.

Denis is a decorated Veteran of Southeast Asia & Former Army Captain. He is a Trustee of the University of Dallas, as well as a member of the Board of Camp John Marc, a Texas ranch for disabled children & The Family Place, a shelter for abused women and children.

He is a father of five: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Mary and a grandfather three and counting. His wife of 37 years is the lovely Denise. Deacon Simon is a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulphre & Knight of Malta, Texas Area Chair. Denis was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Tejas Girl Scouts Board of Directors in 2005

Ever the adventurer, his 60th birthday was celebrated with an expedition to Antarctica which completed his quest of walking on all 7 continents and swimming in the Antarctic Ocean. His most recent adventure took place last summer as he took on Mt. Rainier.