OUR TEAM
OUR VALUES
Our approach is guided by three core principles that define our relationships and operations:
Fairness
We are committed to fostering transparent and respectful relationships, ensuring equitable outcomes for our team, the businesses we partner with, and the communities we serve. Fairness means mutual respect and trust at every stage of collaboration.
Excellence
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of operational and strategic performance, delivering reliable, consistent results that exceed expectations. Excellence is the foundation of our reputation and the outcomes we achieve.
Responsibility
We take ownership of the impact our actions have on employees, stakeholders, and communities. Responsibility means operating with integrity and contributing to shared success, ensuring every step we take strengthens the broader ecosystem.
SADDLE HORN FOUNDING PARTNERS
Nick Olynyk
Founder, CEO
An entrepreneur and investor based in Calgary, Alberta, Nick brings over a decade of executive and operational experience in the lower middle market.
Entrepreneurial Track Record:
Nick has started, built, and successfully exited multiple entrepreneurial businesses and brands. He is an entrepreneur at heart with a deep passion for unlocking the full potential of underperforming companies.
Operational Leadership:
He leads all deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio company operations at Saddle Horn, bringing hands-on experience from his years building businesses from the ground up.
Education:
After successfully selling his Texas-based chemical manufacturing company, Vic West Brands, Nick completed his MBA from the University of California at Berkeley, specializing in Finance.
Zhengyu Huang
Founder, President
Zhengyu "Z" has spent his professional career working across the US and China, providing him with a unique perspective on the globalization of business, finance, and industrial supply chains.
Corporate & Government Experience:
Z worked at Intel Corporation as a Managing Director before serving under President Obama as a White House Fellow and special assistant to the Administrator of the US Agency for International Development.
Entrepreneurial Success:
In 2009, Z founded a financial services technology company connecting global institutional investors with emerging market opportunities. The firm now operates eight offices across four countries with 300 staff and has facilitated over $16 billion in institutional investments. He has personally raised over $200 million for his various ventures.
Global Expertise:
Z has worked in over ten countries and traveled to more than 90, bringing invaluable cross-border insights to Saddle Horn's investment strategy.
Education:
Stanford University (M.S. Computer Science, B.S. Industrial Engineering, B.A. Economics) and Harvard Business School (MBA). Z is currently completing a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at NYU.
JACK RUSHIN
Director
Jack is an investment professional based in Chicago with nearly a decade of industry experience. At Saddle Horn, he is responsible for sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, leading due diligence efforts, and partnering with portfolio company management to drive operational improvement and long-term value creation.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Prior to joining Saddle Horn, Jack worked at Morgan Stanley and Nomura, where he advised clients across public and private markets.
EDUCATION:
Jack received his B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management.
MACK MCCRUDEN
Analyst
Mack joined Saddle Horn Equity in January 2024 and supports all stages of the investment process, including financial modeling, due diligence, industry research, and acquisition execution. He also plays a significant role in supporting the operations of the firm's portfolio companies, contributing to financial reporting, process improvement, and operational initiatives that drive long-term value creation.
EDUCATION:
Mack graduated from Mount Royal University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.
Who We Are
Entrepreneurial DNA
Saddle Horn's principals are proven entrepreneurs who have successfully started, scaled, and exited multiple businesses across industrial and manufacturing sectors.
Decades of Operational Experience
Our team brings extensive hands-on experience in driving operational improvements and accelerating growth in businesses where founding owners have become complacent or lack succession plans.
Operations-First Philosophy
We prioritize operational excellence and sustainable value creation over pure financial engineering, ensuring our portfolio companies achieve meaningful and lasting performance improvements.
