Craftsman Capital Partners Team

Paul Thompson is a co-founder and Operating Partner of Craftsman Capital. At Craftsman Capital, Mr. Thompson works directly with portfolio company management to realize operational efficiencies and improvement. From 1999-2009, Mr. Thompson worked with Dallas-based private equity firm Transition Capital Partners (then BPCY) as an Operating Partner. In this capacity, Mr. Thompson worked with the management of numerous portfolio companies driving results and increasing stakeholder value. In 2004, Mr. Thompson parachuted into a Transition Capital Partners portfolio company as CEO until its successful sale in 2009 which returned over 50x the original shareholders’ investment. In 2004-2005 he started investing significant amounts of his own capital in private equity, real estate, and start-up ventures. In 2008 he began adding oil and gas exploration and production investments to his portfolio. From 2010-2013, Mr. Thompson dedicated the majority of his time and effort to his personal investments. Mr. Thompson began his career by spending six years flying fighter aircraft in the United States Air Force. His business career began at Recognition International, a high tech manufacturing firm with significant international sales. During four years at the company he held various positions of increasing responsibility culminating with the title of Manager of International Headquarters Operations. From there he went on to hold various senior management operational positions in direct response, insurance, and decision support industries that included a Managing Director stint while living and working in Asia for three years. Mr. Thompson holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering from Texas Tech University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.