Mr. Johnson joined Ascendant in 2009. Previously, he served as CEO and Managing Principal of Wheelhouse Ventures, a small private equity investment firm with investments in health care, retail, entertainment and real estate.
Prior to Wheelhouse, Mr. Johnson served from 2001-2007 as Vice President of Acquisitions and Development for Robert Rowling and TRT Holdings/Omni Hotels. Johnson was responsible for the overall direction of Omni Hotels’ development department, including sourcing, negotiating and closing all investment and with growing the Omni brand throughout the United States and internationally. During his tenure at TRT/Omni, Johnson was responsible for more than $750 million of acquisition and development.
Mr. Johnson currently serves on the City Council in Frisco, Texas (Pop. 110,000) having been elected in 2008. He also serves as an officer on the Board of Directors for the Texas Economic Development Corporation (TexasOne) having been appointed by Governor Rick Perry in 2006. Additionally, Mr. Johnson serves on the Board of the Collin College Foundation, the JD Kynerd Charitable Foundation and has served on the board of numerous private companies.
In 2005 and again in 2010, Mr. Johnson was named to the Dallas Business Journal’s “40 under 40”, recognizing him as one of the top 40 business professionals under the age of 40 in the Dallas area. He is a 4-time IRONMAN triathlon finisher and is a graduate of Auburn University.
