Ron Sorrow partnered with Austin Ventures in June 2008 to form AVRON Partners, Inc. He also serves as CEO-in Residence for Austin Ventures' Growth/Private Equity practice.
Ron has over 30 years of executive leadership experience in air cargo/express transport and logistics, motor carrier operations, rail intermodal, and ocean cargo transportation services. He was co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for RoadLink USA, Inc., the nation's largest intermodal motor carrier and related logistics services company with revenues exceeding $250 million. He also served as the Co-Chairman for Roadlink, Inc., from 2006-2008 and helped direct the company and its acquisition strategy to achieve revenues of over $450 million. For RoadLink USA, Ron led the acquisition of 11 independently owned regional companies from 2000-2006 and integrated these businesses into a unified, nationwide operating and technology services network. In 2006 he directed RoadLink through a highly successful sales transaction to a leading US private equity firm.
Prior to RoadLink, Ron served as President and CEO of CSX Intermodal, Inc., a $1 billion intermodal rail, truck logistics, and ocean cargo inland transport subsidiary of CSX Corporation. He was recruited to CSX in 1988 to lead the formation of the rail industry's largest, fully integrated, transcontinental door to door intermodal services network. Under his leadership, CSX Intermodal produced the highest growth rates and highest investment return margins within the CSX portfolio of transport companies. Ron worked with the Chairman of CSX Corporation and the company's executive leadership to help develop the corporation's intermodal acquisition strategy and federal government filings with the US Surface Transportation Board leading to CSX's successful acquisition of Conrail, one of the largest railroads in the US.
During his career, Ron has also served in key leadership positions for Airborne Freight Corporation, Saunders Leasing and Trucking Systems, and Continental Trailways Bus and Express Systems. He has traveled and worked extensively throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Ron is a graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. He served as a Captain and Squadron Commander in the United States Air Force from 1968-1972 where he received a number of awards and commendations for exemplary performance of his duties during his service period.
Phil Siegel has been with AV for nine years and focuses on services investing, with a particular emphasis on the media, information services, financial and business services, and supply chain markets. Previously, Phil spent 11 years with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), most recently as a Vice President, Partner, and Director in the Dallas office. At BCG, Phil developed deep expertise in the financial services and consumer goods and services industries. Phil has started several companies, including Newgistics, the leader in returns management. Phil has led investments in and serves on the boards of All Star Directories, Case Interactive Media, CreditCards.com, HomeAway Vacation Rentals, Newgistics, RT Holdings, and Stull Logistics.
Phil received his MBA and undergraduate degrees from the University of Chicago. Phil served as an adjunct professor in the entrepreneurship department at the University of Texas Graduate School of Business from 1999 until 2002 and at the business school of St. Edwards University. He is currently a professor in the Acton School of Management.
David Lack joined Austin Ventures in 2002 and helps drive our growth equity investment efforts. His primary focus is on business services markets with a particular emphasis on supply chain and logistics, information services, subscription-based media, and general business process outsourcing companies. David has also played an instrumental role in the development of our CEO-in-Residence program, and has successfully partnered with several executives to identify unique market opportunities and execute transactions with like-minded founders.
Prior to joining Austin Ventures, David spent seven years with The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a leading, global management consultancy. While at BCG, David worked extensively with Fortune 200 CEO’s and executive management teams serving as an advisor on growth, market positioning and M&A strategies. David received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his BA from Dartmouth College.
Jaime, senior associate, joined Austin Ventures in 2008. Prior to joining Austin Ventures, Jaime was a vice president in the Technology, Media, & Telecom investment banking group at Goldman Sachs. There he focused on mergers and acquisitions and financing transactions in the technology industry. Jaime’s clients included Applied Materials, eBay, eHarmony, IDT, Intel, Microsoft, Nvidia, Western Digital as well as technology-focused private equity firms. Jaime previously worked at Merrill Lynch in Mexico City where he advised companies on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and buyout transactions. Earlier in his career, Jaime worked in the Energy group at Merrill Lynch. He has also spent time auditing companies at Arthur Andersen.
Jaime received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.
We have assembled a "world class" team of senior equity investment and value development professionals. We've blended these resources with nationally recognized and highly respected executive talent deeply experienced in leading major corporations within the transportation, distribution, and supply chain logistics industries.
Meet our senior leadership and management team:
