# Drew Johnson

> Drew Johnson is co-founder and managing partner of Gauge Capital, a Southlake, Texas private equity firm. A former McKinsey consultant and CIC Partners co-founder, he invests in consumer businesses and serves on company boards. His public leadership remarks emphasize independent thinking, learning from mistakes, and patient improvement.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Gauge Capital
- **Organizations:** Gauge Capital, CIC Partners, McKinsey & Company, BYU Marriott School National Advisory Council, BYU-Pathway Worldwide President’s Leadership Council, Chaac Foods, Performance Beauty Group, RIP-IT, Clean Simple Eats, Flowstone
- **Education:** BA in economics, Brigham Young University, MBA, Harvard Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded Gauge Capital and CIC Partners., Gauge’s fourth fund closed with approximately $1.4 billion in commitments in March 2024., Gauge was included in Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list for a sixth consecutive year in 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1993** — Graduated from BYU; subsequently worked at McKinsey in Los Angeles and Seoul.
- **1995** — Entered Harvard Business School.
- **—** — After business school, joined Cardinal Investment Company; later co-founded and served as managing partner of CIC Partners. His Gauge biography records 16 years at CIC.
- **2007** — Became a member of BYU Marriott’s National Advisory Council.
- **—** — Co-founded Gauge Capital with Tom McKelvey; public accounts differ on the founding year.
- **2016** — Joined Beauty Industry Group’s board following Gauge’s investment.
- **2018** — Joined American Nuts’ Board of Managers following a majority recapitalization.
- **2019** — Joined the board of newly created Chaac Foods.
- **2024** — Gauge closed its fourth fund at approximately $1.4 billion.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Gauge Capital and CIC Partners.
- Gauge’s fourth fund closed with approximately $1.4 billion in commitments in March 2024.
- Gauge was included in Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list for a sixth consecutive year in 2025.
- Gauge ranked No. 15 in the 2025 HEC Paris-Dow Jones Lower MidMarket Buyout Performance Ranking, announced April 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Johnson and Tom McKelvey jointly commented on Gauge’s No. 15 ranking in the 2025 HEC Paris-Dow Jones lower midmarket buyout ranking.
- **2025-10** — Johnson commented on Gauge’s sixth consecutive inclusion in Inc.’s Founder-Friendly Investors list.

## Links

- Website: https://gaugecapital.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-johnson-793335262

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/drew-johnson
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09