Matthew Fleeger

Matthew Fleeger, CEO and President of venture management company Gulf Coast Western, exemplifies an admirable approach to investment in oil and gas exploration. Fleeger's focus is forming partnerships with investors by using the latest scientific tools to quantify risks and production potential, making sure each investor is fully informed of both downside risk and potential return on investment, and then bringing the best talents in the industry together to realize maximum production potential. Fleeger takes the same approach to the company's philanthropic investments, supporting seven non-profits through Gulf Coast Western while focusing on other charities with his wife, Valerie.

A great deal has been written about Fleeger and Gulf Coast Western's fifty years of stable success in the oil and gas industry. Not as much has been written about the unique point of view Matthew Fleeger brings to Gulf Coast Western and the industry as a whole. In this article we'll take a look at what makes Matthew Fleeger the leader, with some insights into how he believes venture capitalists find the surest road to success.

For Matthew Fleeger, Gulf Coast Western is the family business. The family didn't let Fleeger take a leadership role in Gulf Coast Western, however, until he spent over a decade making other companies work. Fleeger founded a successful medical waste disposal company not long after his graduation from SMU. He sold it after 13 years for $59 million.

It wasn't enough for Fleeger to show that he could run a large enterprise. Fleeger also had to demonstrate that he could make profits ethically with partners. Fleeger also co-founded two chains of tanning salons, Palm Beach Tan and Mystic Tan, with revenues approaching $100 million annually.

Fleeger says that these businesses taught him how to keep his emotions from getting the best of him. He learned from his other recession-sensitive enterprise to look for the expansion opportunities unique to hard times. And, of course, Fleeger learned the value of having cash reserves to take advantage of unique investment opportunities.

Under Matthew Fleeger's leadership, over 70% of Gulf Coast Western's partners have signed up for more than one joint venture. His rating with the Better Business Bureau has been a consistent A+. Matthew Fleeger's integrity keeps the door open for new ventures with longstanding partners and seasoned associates that have made Gulf Coast Western a premier investment leader in the oil and gas industry.