Michael R. Nicolais, President

Mr. Nicolais co-founded Highlander Partners in April 2004. From 1985 until 2000, Mr. Nicolais worked as an investment banker for Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (“DLJ”). At the time of DLJ’s acquisition by Credit Suisse in 2000, Mr. Nicolais was a Managing Director and co-head of DLJ’s Dallas office. From 2001 until the founding of Highlander Partners, he founded Olivhan Investments, a private investment firm, and worked as a Managing Director of Stephens Inc., a regional investment banking firm.

He currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP), The Composites Group, a compounder and molder of thermoset composites, Martin Fletcher Associates Holdings, Inc., a provider of healthcare staffing solutions, and SensoryEffects, a producer of food ingredients and flavor systems.

Mr. Nicolais received his MBA “With Distinction” from the Wharton School of Business in 1986 with a dual concentration in Accounting and Finance. He received a BA in Economics from Wake Forest University in 1980.