Team
Our Culture
Our culture is a key differentiator at Windage. We place people at the center of our most important decisions, ensuring that shared values maintain cohesiveness while encouraging diverse perspectives. Our exceptional people and processes instill the confidence to challenge the status quo, driving continuous improvement and innovation. Foundational principles such as trust, humility, relatability, and a proven track record of excellence, especially in the face of adversity, define our approach. Moreover, our commitment to service and alignment of incentives underscores our dedication to collective success.
Investment Team
At Windage, our team is built on shared principles, exceptional talent, and a culture of excellence. Our complementary leadership team leverages a diversity of thought and experience, drawing from backgrounds in government, private equity, investment banking, management consulting, and the US military. This rich tapestry of expertise and perspectives equips us to navigate complex challenges and seize opportunities, ensuring we deliver exceptional value to our portfolio companies and stakeholders.
Louis Bremer
Founder and CEO
Chief Investment Officer
Mr. Bremer is the Founder and CEO of Windage Partners. He oversees all aspects of the firm’s operations and serves as the Chief Investment Officer.
Mr. Bremer has operated at the nexus of global finance, foreign policy, and national security for over 30 years. Before founding Windage, he was a Managing Director at Cerberus Capital Management and Co-Founder of Tracker Capital Management, an affiliated national security-focused investment fund. Previously, Mr. Bremer was a Managing Director at Bain Capital and a Vice President at Veritas Capital where he focused on investments in the Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services (ADGS) markets. Earlier in his career, he held positions in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan.
In 1992, Mr. Bremer was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and served for eight years as a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) officer. In 2007, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the 2007-2008 class of White House Fellows and served on the Homeland Security Council staff in the Executive Office of the President. In 2020, Mr. Bremer was nominated by President Donald J. Trump for the position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict, the senior Department of Defense official overseeing America’s Special Operations Forces.
Mr. Bremer is a Founding Director of the U.S. Air Force Academy Foundation Board and serves on the Advisory Board of the Navy SEAL Museum in San Diego. He is a Co-Founder and former Director of the Navy SEAL Foundation, a former Director of the White House Fellows Foundation and Association, a former Director of the Carson Scholars Fund, and a former Senior Advisor to The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Mr. Bremer holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he serves on the Private Equity Council, and a BS from the United States Air Force Academy. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Business Executives for National Security, Council for National Policy, FirstWave, and Alder.
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Darryl Smith
Operating Partner
Head of Portfolio Operations
Mr. Smith is an Operating Partner, Head of Portfolio Operations, and member of the Investment Committee at Windage Partners. He has been an operator, entrepreneur, investor, and consultant for the past 28 years.
Prior to Windage, he was a Managing Director at Pacific Avenue Capital Partners and the President of Global Portfolio Operations at Skyview Capital. At Skyview, he led all operational due diligence, acquisition transition and integration, and portfolio company monitoring for the firm. Previously, Mr. Smith was the Founding Partner of Fidelis Capital Partners, Chairman of Cimcon Finishing, and CEO of Premier Logitech. Mr. Smith began his private equity career as Vice President at Platinum Equity where he focused on carve-out execution and value creation. Early in his career, he was a Senior Manager and consultant at Accenture.
Mr. Smith began his career as a logistics officer in the U.S. Marine Corps where he served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He is the Chairman of the Dallas Salvation Army Board of Advisors, a Trustee off the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, a Trustee of the Naval Academy Athletic and Scholarship Programs, an Independent Director of USA Boxing and a Trustee of the USA Boxing Foundation. He holds a BS in Economics from the U.S. Naval Academy, where he was Brigade Boxing Champion, and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Crawford Thompson
Vice President
Mr. Thompson is a Vice President at Windage Partners where he is responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, performing due diligence, and working with management teams to implement operational initiatives and growth strategies.
Prior to joining Windage, Mr. Thompson was an Associate at CH Investment Partners, a Dallas-based family office, where he focused on leading the firm’s private equity investment strategies across numerous sectors including business services, consumer, healthcare, and technology. Prior to CH Investment Partners, he was a Consultant at Oliver Wyman advising clients in various industries with a focus on corporate strategy and post-merger integrations.
Mr. Thompson holds a BS in Economics and a MS in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Andrew Lewis
Senior Associate
Mr. Lewis is a Senior Associate at Windage Partners, responsible for identifying and evaluating investment opportunities, performing due diligence, and collaborating with management teams to implement operational initiatives and growth strategies.
Prior to joining Windage, Mr. Lewis co-founded Mobility Capital, an investment firm based in Miami Beach, FL, focused on private infrastructure and credit investments across transportation sectors and their adjacencies. Previously, he was an investment professional and founding employee at ATL Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused on aerospace, transportation, and logistics. He began his career as an investment banking analyst at J.P. Morgan in its energy coverage group in New York.
Mr. Lewis holds an A.B., with honors, in Economics with a Certificate in Applications of Computing from Princeton University, and an M.B.A., with honors and distinction as a Palmer Scholar, from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He serves as Alumni Treasurer of Princeton’s Class of 2012.
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Board of Advisors
The Windage Board of Advisors is a pivotal asset to our firm, extending our expertise and network both in the U.S. and internationally. Comprised of former high-level government officials and industry executives, our advisors bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and strategic insight to Windage Partners. This distinguished group of leaders, including former U.S. government officials, prime ministers, senior military officers, and top executives from major corporations, supports us in all functions of our process. Their diverse backgrounds and deep understanding of both public and private sectors enhance our strategic decision-making and operational capabilities, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of the Aerospace, Defense, and Government Services (ADGS) sector. With their guidance, we are better equipped to navigate complex challenges, seize opportunities, and drive sustainable growth for our portfolio companies.
United States
Secretary
Rick Perry
- 14th U.S. Secretary of Energy
- 47th Governor of Texas
Director
John Ratcliffe
- 6th U.S. Director of National Intelligence
- U.S. Congressman; Committees: Intel, Homeland Security, Judiciary
Secretary
Kirstjen Nielsen
- 6th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
- White House Principal Deputy Chief of Staff
Ambassador
Ken Braithwaite
- 77th Secretary of the Navy
- Ambassador to Norway
The Honorable
Joe Kernan
- Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
- Retired Vice Admiral and Navy SEAL
Mike Petters
- President and CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, the largest ship manufacturer in U.S.; 30-year tenure
Ron Nicol
- 36-year Senior Partner and Global Head of all practice areas at Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
Steve Zide
- 20-year Partner and Head of North American Industrials at Bain Capital
- Partner, Kirkland & Ellis
Rob Archambault
- Partner & Head of M&A Operations, Platinum Equity
- CEO of multiple portfolio companies
International
Prime Minister
Scott Morrison
- 30th Prime Minister of Australia
- Minister for Immigration, Minister for Social Services, Treasurer
Lord Philip Hammond
- Member, House of Lords
- Chancellor, Foreign Secretary, Defense Secretary
Rick Haythornthwaite
- Architect of UK’s transformative defense review
- Chairman, NatWest & Mastercard; Advisory Partner, Moelis & Co
Sir Michael Lockett
- Founder, Atlantic Future Forum
- Chairman, Audley Advisors
- Geopolitical advisor to foreign leaders
Alastair Lukies
- Senior Advisor to David Cameron, Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister
- Founder, Monitise