Our Team
Tom Foley Founder and Partner
Tom started his career at McKinsey & Company and Citicorp Venture Capital before founding NTC Group in 1985. In addition to his work in the private sector, he has served in government twice, including in Iraq with the CPA and as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. He is currently the Chairman of Tenax Aerospace, and a Director of The Entwistle Company and Stevens Aerospace & Defense. Mr. Foley graduated from Harvard College and has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Taran Bakker Partner
Taran began his career at Morgan Stanley Asset Management and McKinsey & Company before joining Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 17 years in the Merchant Banking/Private Equity and Investment Banking divisions. He joined NTC Group in 2017 and was President of Tenax Aerospace from 2018 to 2020. He is currently Chairman of The Entwistle Company and a Director at Tenax Aerospace. Taran studied undergrad (Economics) at London School of Economics and received his MBA from HEC Paris.
Sameer Bhatia Director
Sameer joined NTC Group bringing with him more than 20 years’ experience in sales, sales support, business strategy, and new market expansion. He worked for AT&T/NCR from 1992 to 2010, serving in various roles during his time at the company. Sameer graduated with a BSc. in Aviation/Computer Science from St. Louis University and an M.B.A. from Webster University.
Tom Foley, Jr. Director
Tom joined NTC Group in 2020 as a director having spent six years in the automotive industry, most recently at Roadster Online where he led the development and integration of Roadster’s e-commerce software platform. Tom graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Economics. He is currently the Chairman of Stevens Aerospace.
Matt O’Leary Director
Matt joined NTC group in 2023 as a director, having previously worked on the industrials team for One Equity Partners in Chicago. He received his MBA from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, and his undergraduate degree in History from Harvard College. Matt has also worked in both the automotive and oil and gas industries.
Raha Odelfelt Director of Communications and Administration
Raha joined NTC with over 20 years of experience in hospitality and marketing, with a focus on the media space. She started her career at HBO, where she helped execute marketing campaigns for some of the network’s most successful series, including The Sopranos, Sex and The City, and Game of Thrones. More recently she developed the brand identity of the launch of Warner Media’s streaming platforms.
Liza Truax Affiliated Investor
Liza is affiliated with NTC and works on opportunities outside NTC’s core sectors. Liza was previously Managing Partner at an advisory firm focused on family businesses and family offices across a range of sectors and spent the early part of her career at AQR Capital Management. Liza has an M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard Business School and a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University.
Ben Kaufman Affiliated Investor
Ben is affiliated with NTC Group and focuses on opportunities outside of NTC’s core sectors. Previously, Ben was a Partner at Hamlin Capital Management, where he originated and structured fixed income investments. He began his career in equity and credit strategy roles at HSBC Securities and Bank of America. Ben holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Northeastern University and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.