Ted Brandt co-founded Marathon Capital in 1999, and serves as Chief Executive Officer and board member.  Marathon is a Chicago based investment banking boutique focused on the Energy and Infrastructure market sectors.  The firm is active in the power generation segment and, in particular, it’s various renewable power segments. Marathon provides M&A advisory and capital raising services as well as fairness opinions and valuation analysis of assets and companies. Marathon is among the most active North American renewable energy banks.  The firm has been involved in many transforming transactions within the renewables sector.  

Prior to Marathon, Mr. Brandt held various senior management positions within large non-bank finance and leasing companies including; GE Capital, Dana Commercial Credit and Transamerica. During this 15-year period Mr. Brandt had start-up responsibility for leasing units, hands-on turnaround assignments and opportunity to create and execute a variety of manufacturer vendor programs. During this time, Mr. Brandt also actively worked on the buying and selling of specialty commercial finance units. 

Mr. Brandt’s transition from commercial finance to energy investment banking was based on his long term interest in energy, especially renewable energy.  He viewed the sector as a prime opportunity for long-term growth. At Marathon, Brandt spends the majority of his time delivering Marathon’s senior level commitment to client firms and their Boards.  He balances his time setting strategic priorities and building Marathon.  The firm operates with 14 professionals and offices in Chicago (Bannockburn), New York City and San Francisco.  Among Mr. Brandt’s noteworthy transactions are the restructuring and ultimate sale of Middlesex Generation to General Electric (landfill gas to electric); Steamboat II/III to Ormat Technologies (Geothermal); the sale of Greenlight Energy to BP, plc (Wind), AMP Resources to Enel (Geothermal), CPV Wind to Iberdrola (Wind), SkyPower Corp. to Lehman Brothers (Wind and Solar), Allco’s Tehachapi Assets to Terra Gen (Wind) and Ridgeline Energy to Veolia Environment (Wind).

 Mr. Brandt received a BA in Economics from Oberlin College and a MBA from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Chicago.