Key Leadership
Catalyst Energy Executive Team
Matt Cheney
Chief Executive Officer
Steve Malnight
President & Managing Director
Matt is a seasoned CEO and company founder that has brought to life a series of large-scale renewable energy companies & funds including CP-EM, Conveyance Capital Partners, CleanPath Ventures, Fotowatio RV, MMA Renewable Ventures, & Nuon nv Americas. Matt has syndicated tax efficient and direct funding for solar and wind projects totaling over 6 GWs globally. He is also a serial investor in promising start-ups. He holds a BS from The American University and a Masters Degree from Johns Hopkins SAIS, both in Washington, DC.
Steve worked for sixteen years at PG&E in California where he served in several executive roles leading the company’s strategy on clean energy and the transition to a sustainable future. His last role was as the Senior Vice President of Energy Supply and Policy, where he led a team of over 8,000. He most recently served as the Chief Executive Officer of Duquesne Light Company; a private equity owned distribution utility company. At Duquesne, Steve helped to transform the company into a regional leader in clean energy. Steve received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and his master’s in business administration from the Tuck School at Dartmouth
Andrew Roettger
Partner & Executive Director
Andrew is a C Level corporate advisor in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York and London. Andrew was a founding member of the London International Financial Futures Exchange, has worked on the ECB Systemic Risk Board, member of the Chicago Board of Trade, Pacific Stock Exchange, European Options Exchange, and currently runs a private equity fund and has for 25 years run a strategic tax advisory service. He is an alumni of Boston University and Sloan School of Management.
Catalyst Energy Team
Stephen Levy
Vice President -- Finance
Brent Ellwood
Director -- Land
Stephen is a Vice President with Catalyst. He has been with the firm since inception and previously held other finance function roles at the firm. Prior to Catalyst Energy, Stephen had additional power industry finance/investment experience, having held roles at Prudential Private Capital (power/renewables finance group) and EnCap Energy Transition (a multi-billion dollar private equity fund focused on pursuing investment opportunities created by the global transition to a lower-carbon energy system). Mr. Levy received his BBA in Finance with Very High Honors from Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business.
Brent brings extensive experience and a unique perspective to the Catalyst team. He is a farm owner in Dorchester County Maryland that understands the ever-changing regulations. price fluctuations, and government involvement that farmers must overcome every day. Brent is committed to help farm owners remain independent of perpetual land use easements and preserve their rights for generations to come. Brent is a firm believer that co-locating solar development with existing points of interconnection creates incredible opportunities in agricultural economies and communities. Solar energy is produced locally, reduces dependance on energy imports, and creates real revenues that help our rural communities.
Loic Wouantou
Manager -- Renewables
Robert Swank
Associate -- Renewables
Loïc Wouantou is a Development Manager with over a decade of experience across renewable energy development, finance, and energy policy strategy. He has supported the advancement of more than 2 GW of solar and wind projects across U.S. power markets, leading project origination, securing site control, navigating permitting and interconnection processes, and supporting power offtake and commercial structuring.
In addition to his work in the energy sector, Loïc serves in the United States Army Reserve, where he has held roles in Civil Affairs, Military Intelligence, and Logistics. His military service reinforces his leadership approach, strategic judgment, and ability to operate effectively in complex and high-pressure environments.
Loïc holds an M.S. in Energy Management and an M.S. in International Management Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a B.S. in Renewable Energy earned in Germany. He is fluent in English, French, and German.
Rob Swank graduated from Furman University in 2025 with a degree in Strategic Communications. With experience in Community and utility scale solar development, Rob supports renewable energy projects across the development lifecycle, focusing on site feasibility and permitting to interconnection. His work to date has help leverage existing grid infrastructure and thermal assets to accelerate solar development while helping advance scalable, cost-effective clean energy solutions.