Andrew Curtis Right

 

Andrew Curtis Right is the founder and Managing Partner of Cherry Lane Capital.  Founded in 2012, Cherry Lane Capital is a holding company focused on making control/significant governance investments in operating businesses as a partner with founding families and owner-entrepreneurs. 

 

From 2015 through January 2017, Mr. Right served as a Presidential Executive Fellow, Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Acting Executive Director of the Build America Bureau (the “Bureau”) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).  Prior to serving as Executive Director of the Build America Bureau, he served as Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Executive Director of the Build America Transportation Investment Center (BATIC). 

 

As Executive Director of the BATIC, Mr. Right led the creation and development of USDOT’s outreach and development organization designed to serve as the single point of contact and coordination for states, municipalities and project sponsors looking to utilize federal transportation expertise, apply for federal transportation credit programs and explore ways to access private capital and engage in public private partnerships (P3s). 

 

With the passage of the FAST Act in December 2015, the Secretary tasked Right with the reorganization, streamlining and enhancement of USDOT’s credit programs to create the Build America Bureau which was formed to be responsible for driving infrastructure development projects in the United States by streamlining credit opportunities while also providing technical assistance and encouraging innovative best practices in project planning, financing, delivery and monitoring.  As part of his task, Mr. Right led the effort to consolidate DOT’s three credit programs (TIFIA, RRIF and PABs) in the new Bureau as well as integrate and enhance the original BATIC effort to create an outreach and development team for the new Bureau.  He further institutionalized and enhanced the credit processes to drive efficiency, transparency, accountability, enhanced underwriting standards and expedited transaction timing.  As part of his role, Mr. Right chaired the Credit Review Team for Bureau loans and managed policy formulation with respect to Bureau related topics.  He also served as USDOT’s representative to the Executive Committee of the Gateway Development Corporation and led USDOT’s efforts to drive the development of the Gateway Program, a component of which is the set of two new tunnels for rail traffic under the Hudson River into Penn Station.

 

Prior to founding Cherry Lane, Mr. Right was a Vice President in the Infrastructure Investment Group, within the Merchant Banking Division at Goldman Sachs in New York.  At Goldman, he was part of the founding team that formed the Infrastructure Investment Group and raised $6.5 billion for GS Infrastructure Partners I (GSIP I), which closed in December in 2006 and $3 billion for GSIP II which closed in 2010.  

 

As part of the IIG team, Mr. Right led teams that evaluated deals in a variety of sectors including midstream and transportation opportunities, ultimately focusing on the seaport and US airports sectors.  In his investment space, Mr. Right was responsible for sourcing opportunities and leading deal teams with responsibility for detailed legal, accounting, financial and market due diligence, as well as partner selection, JV agreement negotiation and final purchase and sale negotiation.  He also worked in conjunction with the GSIP investment committee to price bids and make final investment recommendations. 

 

In 2007, Mr. Right led IIG’s investment in Carrix, Inc. (the parent company of SSA Marine), the largest private container terminal operator in the Americas.  As part of the ongoing asset management work, he worked extensively with company management on global acquisition alternatives (including acquisitions in the rail, bulk and container space) as well as management and refinancing initiatives.  He was a board member of Carrix until his departure from Goldman in 2012.

 

Andrew received a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering and Operations Research, with certificates (minors) in Engineering and Management Systems and Public and International Affairs, graduating Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Princeton University in 1997.  He received an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School in 2003 where he was elected a Baker Scholar, the designation for the top 5% of the graduating class.

 

He is currently very active at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He previously co-chaired the Junior Council leadership from 2007-2012, co-chaired the Annual Museum Dance from 2010 - 2013 and has served on the Museum Advisory Council since 2011.  He grew up in Denver, Colorado and currently resides in New York City with his children Owen, Phoebe, Sadie and Graham.