91³Ô¹ÏÍø

Hamiz Awan

Hamiz Awan, Partner at Plutus21 Capital, leads the quantitative research, technology development, and overall strategic growth of Plutus21 Capital.

Hamiz and his team combine data science and technology with their investment experience to create a proprietary adoption index that is used to invest in adoption leaders and their fastest-adopted competitors. Hamiz and his team have been backing and building technology teams in AI, fintech, and blockchain since 2017.

Hamiz has more than 10 years of experience investing in a variety of alternative strategies across multiple countries. He has been a principal investor or operator in deals totaling over USD 250 million on behalf of partner and family capital.

Hamiz graduated as a Don Jackson Fellow from Southern Methodist University with a degree in Finance and Statistical Science from the Alternative Asset Management Center. Hamiz is known as an expert on emerging markets, alternative investments, and entrepreneurship.



Barry M. Kitt
 
Upon graduating from California State University-Sacramento with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance in 1978, Barry Kitt began working on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE).  From February 1979 through June 1985, Barry was a successful Market Maker, or “trader,” for his own account on the CBOE.

In November 1984, Barry invested in a start-up telecommunications company in Chicago- Total Communications, Inc.  In July 1985, Barry left the CBOE to devote 100% of his time to this rapidly growing telecommunications firm.  He served as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, as well as Corporate Secretary, until the company was sold in May of 1990 to a Dallas-based publicly held national telecommunications company- International Telecharge Inc. “ITI”.  Whereupon he moved to Dallas and served as Vice President of Sales for ITI until November 1993.  In November 1993, Barry left to devote his time to the start-up of The Pinnacle Fund L.P., an investment partnership or “hedge fund”.  In 2005, Barry started a second fund, Pinnacle China Fund, L.P.
During 2010, after 17 years of managing the Pinnacle Funds, which had a 24.11% average annual net return, Barry closed both investment partnerships so that he could open a family office - Pinnacle Family Office Investments, L.P.  In 2011, Barry partnered with 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Cox School of Business to establish the Kitt Investment and Trading Center, a dynamic instructional and research facility for practicum-based classes.  Barry has served on the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Cox School of Business Executive Board since 2012.  In his free time, he pursues his interest in collecting fine minerals and enjoys traveling with his wife of 40 years, Beth.  Together they have three grown children (two of whom are graduates of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Cox School of Business), as well as five grandchildren.



David Luttrell
 
David Luttrell is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of LCM Group. He is responsible for all firm activities, including executive leadership, investment strategy and decision-making, portfolio management and construction, and team development. Previously, David was Chief Investment Officer, leading the portfolio team in the firm's due diligence process, investment management decisions, and portfolio construction. Before his role as CIO, David was a Managing Director, focusing on expanding the firm’s reach and strategy implementation in direct private equity and venture capital investing.

Prior to LCM, David served as Senior Economic Analyst and Special Assistant to President Richard Fisher at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and worked in the Private Equity/Venture Capital Group at Makena Capital (Menlo Park, CA) and the Financial Institutions Group at state-owned global investment company Temasek Holdings (Singapore).

David serves on several LCM portfolio company and non-profit Boards. David is passionate about finding ways to invest in human flourishing, across for-profit business models and not-for-profit ministry work.

David earned an M.B.A. degree from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He also earned an undergraduate B.S. in Economics and B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University. David worked at EnCap Investments and LCM Group while in college, and helped launch the EnCap Investments & LCM Group Alternative Asset Management Center (AAMC) at the Cox School of Business. David and his wife, Keelie, always enjoy being back on 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s campus; between both of their immediate families, 10 people earned a collective 13 degrees from Southern Methodist University!

Scott Luttrell

D. Scott Luttrell is Founder and Chairman of LCM Group, an investment firm he led as CEO for 36 years.

Scott founded LCM Group in 1988 out of his desire to focus on the growing opportunities in the rapidly expanding alternative investment sector. At LCM Group, Scott launched his first hedge fund, The Everest Fund, a global fixed income and foreign exchange focused investment fund that he merged with Caxton Associates in 1991. At Caxton, Scott led the firm’s global fixed income group.

Scott has served on a variety of public company, private company and charitable boards including serving for 12 years on the Board of Directors of Florida Bank Group, Inc., a Federal Reserve regulated bank holding company, for 14 years on the Board of Directors of Cbeyond, Inc. (CBEY:NASDAQ). He also served eight years on the Board of Trustees and was Chairman of the Investment Committee for the YMCA Retirement Fund, an $10 billion retirement fund serving the employees of the YMCA.

Scott has also served on the Board of East-West Ministries, HOI (Helping Others Internationally), Tampa Metropolitan YMCA, Mission Increase Foundation, Watermark CDC, and Denison Ministries. Scott currently serves on several private company Board of Directors including New Leaf Publishing Group, Indigena Holdings, and several private equity firm’s LP or advisory committees. Scott is Founder and Trustee of The Light Foundation.

Scott received his degree in Business Administration/Finance in 1977 from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In 2001, Scott attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education program in Corporate Governance.

Scott and his wife have been married 47 years and have two adult children and three grandchildren.

Frank McGrew

Bio forthcoming.

Drew McKnight

Drew McKnight is Co-Chief Executive Officer of Fortress and a Managing Partner and Co-CIO of the Fortress Credit Funds business. Drew serves on the investment committee for the Credit Funds, is a member of the Fortress Management and Credit Leadership Committees and is the head of the firm's Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Committee. Prior to joining Fortress in February 2005, Drew worked at Fir Tree Partners where he was responsible for analyzing and trading high yield and convertible bonds, bank debt, derivatives and equities for the value-based hedge fund.

Prior to Fir Tree, Drew worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in Leveraged Finance and the Distressed Bank Debt trading group. Drew serves on the Board of Directors for the Episcopal School of Dallas, the Board of Advisors for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, the Board of Advisors for 91³Ô¹ÏÍø's Cox School of Business Alternative Asset Management Center, and the UT Southwestern Medical Center President's Advisory Board. In addition, Drew is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Drew received a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia.

Stephen Meek

Stephen is currently a Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Galley Investment Group, an independent oil & gas firm specializing in identifying, acquiring, capitalizing and managing upstream oil & gas assets.  Prior to founding Galley Investment Group, Stephen founded 2 other companies – Galley Investments (oil & gas advisory/consulting work) and Galley NM Assets (mineral & royalty acquisitions).  Stephen began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst with Citigroup’s Energy team in Houston. After Citigroup, he spent six years in EnCap Investments’ Dallas office working predominantly on upstream E&P private equity deals in the $300-$500mm range. During his career, Stephen has worked on private/public oil and gas transactions totaling in excess of $20Bn.

Stephen graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern Methodist University where he received a B.B.A. in Finance with a Specialization in Alternative Asset Management from the Cox School of Business and a B.S. in Management Science from the Lyle School of Engineering.  Stephen lives in Dallas with his wife, Gresham, their three children (Kaki – 4, Hodges – 3 and Pippa – 1) and their three dogs (Galley, Missy and Sippi).

David B. Miller
 
David B. Miller is Co-Founder and Partner of EnCap Investments, L.P., the leading provider of private equity capital to the oil and gas industry.

David attended Southern Methodist University on a basketball scholarship and was a member of the Mustangs 1972 Southwest Conference Championship team.  He received his BBA and MBA degrees in 1972 and 1973, respectively.

David has been a member of the Board of Trustees at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø since 2008, and currently serves as its Chairman.  He is a recipient of Distinguished Alumni Awards from both 91³Ô¹ÏÍø and the Cox School of Business, and in 2009 was honored with the Silver Anniversary Mustang Award by the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Lettermen’s Association.

David began his business career in 1973 as an energy lender with Republic Bank of Dallas, ultimately serving as Vice President and Manager of Republic Energy Finance Corp.  In 1980, David co-founded MAZE Exploration Inc., a Denver-based oil and gas company, where he served as Co-CEO until its sale in 1986.  Then in 1987 he partnered with legendary Dallas oilman, Frank Pitts, in the formation of PMC Reserve Acquisition Co.

In 1988, in the midst of the severe global energy crisis, David wrote the business plan for and subsequently co-founded EnCap Investments.  Since its inception, EnCap has raised 25 funds and managed $43 billion for some 350 major institutional investors.  During that time period, the firm has played an instrumental role in the formation, capitalization and successful growth of some 250 independent energy companies.

In 2004, David was appointed to the National Petroleum Council, an advisory body to the Secretary of Energy.  David was inducted into the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas Hall of Fame and the Dallas Business Hall of Fame in 2014 and 2015, respectively.  In 2017 he received the L. Frank Pitts Energy Leadership Award from the Maguire Energy Institute.  He and the other three co-founders of EnCap were recently honored as members of the inaugural class of inductees into Oil and Gas Investor Magazine’s Hall of Fame.
David and the Miller Family Foundation support numerous charities.  He serves on the Board of Directors of the George W. Bush Foundation, UT Southwestern Medical Foundation, Methodist Health System Foundation and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Foundation, and previously chaired the Boards of Goodwill Industries of Dallas and The Senior Source of Greater Dallas.

David was honored with the Volunteer Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013, and in 2017 he was recognized by Methodist Health System Foundation with the Robert S. Folsom Leadership Award.

Merrill J. Reynolds Jr.

Merrill J. Reynolds Jr., is managing director of the National Certified Community Bank Director’s Program (NCCBD) and curriculum coordinator for the Assemblies for Bank Directors at SWGSB at 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Cox. He also serves as managing director of the SWGSB Commercial Lending School. A graduate of 91³Ô¹ÏÍø and the SW Graduate School of Banking, Merrill began his career as a bank examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. A 40+ year banking veteran, he has worked for both community and multibank holding companies in various lending and managerial capacities. Merrill founded Reynolds Williams Group in 1999, a consulting firm designed to provide services to financial institutions nationwide.

Merrill serves as an instructor for multiple state and national banking organizations and was instrumental in the design of the only accredited certification course for loan review professionals. He has been a lead instructor for Bank Administration Institute, has served as a faculty member of the SW Graduate School of Banking for 24 years, and is a regular speaker for the Assemblies for Bank Directors, state banking associations, and numerous national conferences and seminars, both domestic and internationally. He received the SWGSB Distinguished Faculty Award in 2019. He also serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Cox School of Business.

Kirk Rimer

As Co-President of CH Investment Partners, Kirk Rimer oversees the Partner Advisory and Operations teams. Kirk has played an integral role in helping build the firm’s investment strategy and in expanding the firm’s partner base since joining the firm in 2011. Kirk previously spent 21 years at Goldman Sachs, where he worked with individual investors and corporations, with a focus on risk management and equity investments.

He served as Managing Director and Southwest Regional Manager for the Private Wealth Management Division. Prior to that, Kirk spent nine years as a naval aviator for the United States Navy. Today, Kirk sits on the Executive Board for 91³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Cox School of Business and is also an Investment Committee member of the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Endowment. Additionally, he is a trustee of Austin College in Sherman, Texas. Kirk received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Missouri in 1980 an

Mike J. Skillman

Mike Skillman is CEO of Faith Investor Services (FIS). FIS is dedicated to working with best-in-class investment managers to bring Faith-Based ETF solutions to market.
Mike is an investment management executive with years of experience successfully building and leading organizations through a variety of market environments.  Previously as CEO of Cadence Capital Management, Mike oversaw all facets of the company and represented the firm externally with the media and investors. He oversaw the portfolio management team to ensure adherence to the firm’s investment philosophy and set strategy for the development of new investment tools and products.  Known for his approachable style, Mike has always played an active role in developing new business and building and maintaining relationships with key clients and intermediaries.
Mike’s tenure at Cadence spanned 30 years and in 2016, he led the transaction to sell the firm to highly regarded financial firm, Pacific Life.

This strategic combination allowed Cadence to gain access to distribution, growth capital and seed capital for new strategies, while maintaining organizational autonomy and independence of investment process. More recently, he drove the creation of Pacific Global ETFs, assisted in the creation of FinTech startup, Swell Investing, and obtained capital for several new investment vehicles.

Throughout his career, Mike has served in a variety of roles related to investment management.  He served as Vice President for Pacific Financial Asset Management Corp. (PFAMCo); he worked as an Analyst with Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company; and was a Financial Analyst in the aerospace industry with Aerojet General Corporation.  
Mike is a member of the CFA Society of Dallas and serves on the Executive Board of Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business.  He is also Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of MemorialCare Health System, a non-profit hospital and healthcare system with $3 B in annual revenue. He chairs the Investment Committee which oversees a $4 B pool of investments as well as chairs the Enterprise Risk Management Committee. He graduated from California State University, Chico with a BS in Business Administration – Finance.

Matt Turney

Matt Turney is a Vice President at Southpaw Capital Partners and is the Chief Financial Officer of Dundon Capital Partners, a Dallas-based private investment firm founded by Tom Dundon. Matt has served as Chief Financial Officer of Dundon Capital Partners since May 2021 and is responsible for transaction execution, operations, financial reporting and monitoring portfolio companies. Since June 2021, Matt has also served as the Chief Strategy Officer of the Carolina Hurricanes, a team in the National Hockey League.

Prior to joining Dundon Capital Partners, Matt worked as an investment banker for Citi, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions in the aerospace and defense and automotive sectors.

Matt holds a B.B.A. in finance with a specialization in alternative asset management from Southern Methodist University. In addition to his roles with Dundon Capital Partners and the Carolina Hurricanes, Matt sits on the board of directors of Topgolf Callaway Brands (NYSE: MODG), the United Pickleball Association (observer), the parent company to the Professional PIckleball Association and Major League Pickleball, and the advisory board of the 91³Ô¹ÏÍø Alternative Asset Management Center. In his time away from work, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife, working in his yard, golf, and traveling.

Keith Williams

Keith Williams joined Crestline in 2012 and is Managing Partner of Credit Strategies and Co-Chief Investment Officer. He is a member of the Management Committee and Investment Committees for all Credit Strategies. Keith has more than 24 years’ experience in alternative investments and restructuring advisor services. Prior to joining Crestline, Keith spent the majority of his investing career at Goldman Sachs’ Special Situations Group where he developed and implemented liquid and illiquid distressed investing strategies and was responsible for deal sourcing and execution for private debt strategies.

In addition to his investing experience, Keith provided restructuring and turnaround services to underperforming companies as a founding member of McKinsey & Company’s RTS group and a nationally recognized restructuring boutique. Keith has a BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Rice University