Senior Leadership Team
Michael Cooke
Partner and CEO
Michael has spent his career advising the leadership of the world’s most complex professional services organizations on their most critical structural transitions. He has over 25 years of experience across North America, the UK, and the Middle East, advising global firms and institutional investors in sectors including specialized legal services, human capital management, commercial real estate, B2B outsourcing, and enterprise risk management.
Prior to joining Ridgemont, Michael was a Senior Advisor at Deloitte. He was among a selective group recognized for driving the firm’s expansion into emerging professional services markets.
Before his tenure in Deloitte, Michael held several executive leadership positions at BCG. Micheal began his career in New York more than 25 years ago by co-founding a specialized advisory firm focused on operational efficiency.
Michael holds a degree in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jonathan McIntosh
Partner and CFO
Prior to joining Ridgemont in 2024, Jonathan navigated a series of high-impact leadership roles, including a pivotal tenure advising the board of directors on global expansion at Cartwright Corporation. In that role, he engineered sophisticated capital allocation models and oversaw debt-restructuring frameworks for several of the firm’s largest cross-border acquisitions. His expertise has been utilized across a diverse range of sectors, from global logistics to emerging fintech, supporting both Fortune 500 entities and high-growth venture-backed startups.
Prior to his tenure at Cartwright, Jonathan served as a Senior Manager for EY's international tax advisory practice and spent his early career as an economic policy analyst for a non-profit research institute.
Jonathan earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from Georgetown University.
Richard Klineberg
Partner and General Counsel
With nearly three decades of experience navigating the intersection of corporate law and consulting engagements, Richard acts as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team. In his role, Richard oversees complex client contracting, data privacy standards, and cross-border regulations.
Prior to stepping into his current role, Richard was a Partner at EY in the LFC practice group. During his 28 years in private practice, he represented major advisory firms, technology providers, and pharmaceutical companies in high-stakes mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property disputes, and federal regulatory audits.
Richard earned his Bachelor's in Political Science from Vanderbilt University and his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from USC.