Meet The Team

OUR BIGGEST STRENGTH IS OUR PEOPLE.

We are experienced engineers, financial experts, corporate strategists and recognized business leaders with diverse backgrounds, and we have built our success around combining experience and creativity with a personal touch, ensuring that every partnership receives the attention it deserves.

Ron Nixon founded The Catalyst Group in 1990 for one primary reason: to assist good companies achieve their long-term potential. Over his career, he has participated in over 200 separate transactions while managing TCG’s eight previous limited partnerships. 

Ron earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and is a Distinguished Alumni in mechanical engineering as well as a licensed professional engineer (inactive) in the state of Texas. In addition to serving on the boards of privately held corporations and publicly held LHC Group, Ron also serves on civic boards, such as the UT Austin Engineering Advisory Board, where he was the previous vice chairman. He also serves as a board member on numerous family-owned company boards.

Ron and his wife Ginny live in Houston. They have three children and eleven grandchildren.

CONTACT RON: 713-580-5231

Allen is a Senior Principal for The Catalyst Group and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating potential investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, leading due diligence and managing portfolio investments.

Allen has over 20 years of technology leadership experience, including senior roles in early-stage, growth-stage and publicly held companies that ranged from $13M to over $2B in revenue.

Allen was most recently CTO and COO at Medici in Austin, TX where he oversaw the company’s technology and operations as its telemedicine platform grew rapidly in response to COVID-19. Prior to that, Allen was recruited to venture-backed rental car startup Silvercar as CTO, where he helped open 18 US locations and 2 product divisions before selling to Audi in 2017. Allen also served on the founding team at iSeatz, where as CTO and COO he helped build technology solutions for some of the world’s leading travel brands, including Delta, KLM, Air France, Air Canada, Alaska, Marriott, Mastercard and American Express. Prior to that Allen held leadership roles in the US and in Europe with Hotels.com and Expedia.

Allen is on the Advisory Board for the Customer Experience Program at the Bauer College of Business in Houston, and earned his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Missouri State University.

E.L. Gaylord is an Analyst for The Catalyst Group and is responsible for supporting the sourcing and evaluation of potential investment opportunities, due diligence, and management of portfolio investments. Prior to joining Catalyst, E.L. interned for major financial and consulting institutions like Cerberus Capital Management and McKinsey & Company, where he worked in their Private Equity practices supporting deal activity, research and analysis, and strategic operational initiatives. E.L. earned two Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and International Political Economy & Business from Georgetown University and graduated Magna Cum Laude. He lives with his twin in Austin, Texas.

Brad Gurasich is a Vice President and Principal for The Catalyst Group and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating potential investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, leading due diligence and managing portfolio investments.

Brad is an experienced financial analyst and investment strategist. Prior to joining The Catalyst Group, he was the CFO and Investment Analyst for Goshawk Global Investments, LLC, an equity investment manager based in Austin, Texas. Brad previously served as Senior Finance Manager for Alta Colleges, Inc., a private post-secondary education company, and as an Investment Banking Analyst for the global and industrial services group at Credit Suisse First Boston.

Brad earned a BBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a CFA charter holder and serves on the boards of Rochal Industries, LLC, Aviditi Advisors, and YPS Anesthesia.  Brad is a member of the Finance Advisory Committee serving the Ascension Texas board.  

He lives with his wife and three daughters in Austin.

CONTACT BRAD: 512-320-8600
Connect with Brad on LinkedIn

David McWhorter is a Principal for The Catalyst Group and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating potential investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating transactions, leading due diligence and managing portfolio investments.

David brings a wealth of experience overseeing operations and growth within successful companies in the energy industry. He is the former Vice President and General Manager at Cameron International's Pressure Control Business Unit. Prior to that role, David served as Vice President of Engineering and Quality for Pressure Control at Cameron International. He is also the former Director of Engineering and R&D at National Oilwell Varco's premium coiled tubing and wireline equipment business, Texas Oil Tools.

David earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Texas A&M University. He is a licensed professional engineer (inactive) in the state of Texas and serves on the boards of Superior Plant Rentals, Allocation Specialists, LLC and Pipeline Holdings, LLC.

He lives with his wife and daughter in Tomball, Texas.

CONTACT DAVID: 281-795-6960
Connect with David on LinkedIn

Sam is a Partner at The Catalyst Group and is responsible for sourcing and evaluating potential investment opportunities, structuring, and negotiating transactions, leading due diligence, and managing portfolio investments.

Sam has over 20 years of C-level success driving growth for multiple Fortune 100 companies and mid-cap businesses. Following his passion for emerging technologies and market trends, he has led many strategic expansions into new markets and transformed low-performing businesses into market leaders.

Most recently Sam was CEO of American Medical Technologies, where he led the company to be the nation’s largest Skilled Nursing wound care services provider. Prior to AMT, Sam successfully led growth strategies at the HIT companies Edifecs and Portico. Additionally, Sam has held senior leadership positions in US and Europe with McKesson, Comcast, and Deloitte.

Sam lives in Woodside, California with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys hiking, bicycling, and cooking.

CONTACT SAM:
Connect with Sam on LinkedIn

Phil Morrison is an Operating Partner for the Midstream investment strategy of The Catalyst Group and is actively working deliver a customer needs focused organization enabled by the latest technologies.  Phil brings a wealth of practical experience from the largest service organizations delivering the full lifecycle of pipeline integrity management programs. Previously, Phil ran cores businesses T.D. Williams, including the USA Business Group, Global Pipeline Integrity Products and Services Division, and North America Business Unit.  Most recently Phil has been the President and CEO of Applus RTD North America.

Don Stelly is an Operating Partner for the Health and Wound Care investment strategy of The Catalyst Group.  Don brings with him a wealth of knowledge for building teams, technologies, and services to positively impact patient outcomes.  Previously, Don was the President and Chief Operating Officer of LHC Group, Inc., a national provider of in-home healthcare services with 32,000 employees that deliver home health, hospice, home and community based services, and facility-based care in 35 states and the District of Columbia.

Karen Winkelman is the Administrative Manager for The Catalyst Group and is responsible for bookkeeping and various administrative functions. Karen earned an A.S. Degree in Office Systems and Business Communication from McNeese State University.

Karen has been with Catalyst since January 2007 and lives with her husband and 2 sons in Houston, Texas.