Robert MacDonald
Managing Partner
Craton Equity Partners

Wharton Speaker >> Biography

Mr. MacDonald is a Managing Partner, member of the Board of Directors and a senior investment professional of Craton.
 
Mr. MacDonald has particular expertise in the areas of structuring transactions, as well as assisting portfolio companies with their market and business strategies and leveraging industry experience to evaluate investment opportunities.

Mr. MacDonald’s experience varies from co-founding and leading the development of one of the country’s first fully integrated independent power production companies to helping create two of the largest municipal joint action agencies in California.
 
Mr. MacDonald was with Salomon Brothers from 1972-1979 in the Municipal Bond Department and Public Finance Group. From 1979-1984, Mr. MacDonald co-founded a municipal financial advisory firm which acted as financial advisor to numerous municipal and local government clients.
 
In 1981, Mr. MacDonald together with two other former Salomon Brothers principals founded Catalyst Energy Corporation. Catalyst grew to become one of the largest IPPs in the country, worth over $1 billion with nearly 800 employees and revenues of $414 million. In 1988 Catalyst was sold to the Bronfman family for $1 billion. From this point Mr. MacDonald continued to finance the development of more innovative environmental technologies and power production. From 1988 to 1992, he was a co-founder and co-chairman of Eastrock Partners in New York where he provided private investment and financial consulting services to a variety of clients. In 1993, Mr. MacDonald joined William E. Simon & Sons L.L.C. Mr. MacDonald thereafter became President of Simon Private Equity and served on its investment committee where he was responsible for all aspects of the management of Simon Private Equity.

Mr. MacDonald currently serves on the boards of the following Fund I portfolio companies: EnLink, GigaCrete, Petra Solar and Rypos. Bob graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Fairfield University.

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