THE ROYAL ASCOT INVESTOR TEAM

R. Todd Lazenby, IX - Managing Partner

Todd brings 20 years of corporate finance, investment banking, and consulting experience to the firm, having held increasing senior level positions in both mid-sized and Fortune 500 commercial and investment banks. He has arranged and overseen in excess of $1.75 billion in corporate and institutional real estate transactions, both as a principal and as an advisor in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Prior to co-founding Royal Ascot Partners, LLC, Todd was the Managing Partner of WP Capital Partners, L.P. (formerly Summit Capital Partners, LLC), where he sourced, managed, and closed in excess of $125 million in transactions for the firm. Previously, Todd advised Winthrop Capital, a private venture firm, on its staffing industry consolidation strategy, structuring and negotiating the acquisition and financing of all portfolio companies on behalf of the firm. Todd was a founding principal and executive vice president of Affinity Finance, LLC, where he was instrumental in developing a joint venture with a leading California bank. Prior to forming Affinity, Todd held the position of Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco, managing the bank’s national home equity division. He has been a member of several company and charity boards, including FOH, Inc. (Fredricks of Hollywood), HomeBanc Inc., CMG Bancorp, Inc., Automated Data Sciences, Inc., First Chair Technologies, IFJG, and InTelegy Corp. Todd is a member of the Dallas Chapter of Young Entrepreneurs Organization and a member of the Baylor University Executive MBA Committee. In addition, Todd currently serves on the board of directors for the North Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the March of Dimes and serves as Chairman of the Breakfast with a Champion Fundraiser. He holds an Executive Diplomat degree in banking and finance from Stanford, an MBA, with high honors, and a BS in Communications, with honors, from Florida State University, as well as a BSBA, with high honors, from Barry University.

Anthony R. Neveling, IV, CFA - Partner

Prior to co-founding Royal Ascot Partners, Tony served as a Managing Director at WP Capital Partners, L.P., where he sourced, managed, and closed client engagements in excess of $100 million. Previously he spent 11 years performing investment analysis, asset management and investment banking services at Fortune 500 investment banking firms. He has managed assets for institutions and private partnerships and advised corporate insiders in the sale and disposition of large, concentrated holdings. Tony is currently an Adjunct Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business and Management at the University of Phoenix and is a member of the Dallas Society of Financial Analysts and the CFA Institute. He holds an MBA in Finance and BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

John Bills - Partner
John serves as Royal Ascot Partners, LLC’s Vice President of Finance.  He also currently serves as Chief Operating Officer for Hickman Companies, Inc. and had served as the Hickman Companies’ Chief Financial Officer for 20 years.  John brings extensive financial, banking, and investment experience to Royal Ascot Partners.  He has been directly involved with over 25 corporate acquisitions and divestitures, as well as 11 operating company start ups.  He had previously worked alongside the principals of Royal Ascot Partners, LLC when Hickman Companies divested their controlling interest in SCS Frigette. A Vietnam era veteran of the U.S. Air Force, John currently serves on the Board for the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame and Expanco, both non-profit organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics and Management from Texas Wesleyan University. 

Richard M. Nichols - Principal and Chief Counsel

Rich brings more than 30 years of experience as a lawyer and entrepreneur, identifying, operating, financing, and consummating transactions as well as providing advice and business counsel to entrepreneurs in the technology, sports and entertainment, finance, broadcasting, and telecommunications industries. He has been an operating principal in several major start-up companies. Rich was the owner/operator of the City of San Francisco Marathon, a founding executive of the professional American Basketball League (A.B.L.), was president of Athletishare, Inc., and has served as the personal sports attorney for several nationally renown athletes, including Marion Jones, Edwin Moses, and James Lofton, to name a few. He has enjoyed a distinguished career as a senior counsel with both Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, & Rosati, P.C in the Silicon Valley and Hughes & Luce, L.L.P., in Dallas, Texas. Rich has served as an adjunct professor at University of California, Hastings College of Law, teaching Sports Law and has served on several company boards of directors. He is nationally recognized as a specialist in the field of corporate legal crisis management and has worked with celebrities, government officials, government and non-profit agencies, and sports teams in this capacity. Rich is a graduate of Dartmouth College, earned a Masters of Arts degree from Stanford University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Jacob F. Watters, III - Principal

Jacob joined Royal Ascot Partners from Covalent Capital LLC, a lower middle market private equity firm. At Covalent, his primary responsibilities were sourcing, analyzing, and performing diligence on potential transactions in the retail/restaurant space. He also assisted in a number of strategic engagements, working with companies and investor groups which, together with the firm, committed over $40 million in equity investments. He is certified as a Six Sigma/Lean Process Improvement Greenbelt. Jacob received his BA in Finance from Bradley University in Peoria, IL and MBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University. He is a CFA level II Candidate and is a member of the Family Firm Institute and sits on the board of directors for Superior Express, Inc.

Blaine W. Kauk, Sr. - Associate

Blaine is responsible for industry-specific research, financial modeling, and general financial analysis in the evaluation of opportunities. He developed expertise through working as an analyst at WP Capital Partners, L.P., and an internship at Q Investments, a Fort Worth based hedge fund. Blaine graduated with honors from Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business with emphases in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management.

Holt Hickman - Honorary Chairman
Holt serves as Royal Ascot Partners, LLC’s Honorary Chairman and Member.  As an individual and through several family limited partnerships, Holt owns the Hickman Companies, Inc., a holding corporation for more than 75 companies and related entities that operate in the areas of manufacturing, farming, real estate, oil and gas, and entertainment.  After graduating from Southern Methodist University, Holt served two years in the U.S. Air Force and then joined his father in business at Fort Worth Battery and Automotive to begin his career.  Holt went on to build the company into the world’s largest retailer of automotive air conditioning units.  He was named “Outstanding Business Executive” of 2000 by the Board of Directors of the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame and serves on the Board of Directors or Executive Committees of several notable companies as well as not-for-profit foundations.  He and his wife Jo are also the founders of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards.  Holt obviously brings extensive experience, networks, and notoriety to anything he focuses his efforts on.  After selling the majority of his interest in SCS Frigette and related companies, Holt helped found Royal Ascot Partners, LLC, acting as an extension to the Hickman family business