Financial Counsel to Governments, Non-Profits & Public Private Ventures

Mr. Gardiner serves as a business and financial advisor to companies, non-profits and public entities.  Mr. Gardiner recently completed three years as President and CEO of Octavian Scientific, Inc., and continues as Chair of Octavian’s board.  Octavian, which is commercializing new technology in semiconductor manufacturing, recently closed $8.6 million of venture capital financing and has secured an additional $2 million in debt financing commitments.  Mr. Gardiner’s formal training is in finance and economics, and he’s spearheaded more than $10 billion of debt and equity financings.  He also brings an extensive technical background to his engagements.  He is a director of three technology-related companies, has managed major technology development projects, served as systems engineer on NASA contracts, and designed a number of electronics products.  Mr. Gardiner has been a leader on numerous public and civic boards, currently including the 6-member Oregon Investment Council, which oversees the $60+ billion portfolio for Oregon’s public pension and trust funds.

Mr. Gardiner has 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, financial and business advisor, public official and manager in a broad range of industries.  In his consulting practice, Mr. Gardiner has specialized in: long-term financial, strategic and business planning for corporations and governments; securing growth funding for new entities; economic development and project development financing; design and implementation of public-private partnerships; “bond banks”; transportation financial planning and funding; and, public assembly facility project financing.  Mr. Gardiner also has considerable experience in financial planning, credit analysis and financing for many types of enterprises and utilities.

Mr. Gardiner has been involved in over $10 billion in financings since 1982, including: airports, transportation project bonds, health facilities, sewer, water, parking, golf, auto race track, electric utility, and solid waste revenue bonds; general obligation bonds; stadium and arena project financings; assessment bonds; certificates of participation; tax and revenue anticipation notes; tax exempt commercial paper; variable rate demand bonds; and various lease/purchase financings – as well as equity financing for start-up companies.  Mr. Gardiner has also served as financial advisor to a number of “conduit” financing entities: he was involved in the design and formation of the State of Oregon’s Bond Bank and the New Mexico Finance Authority, and advised the Alaska Industrial Development Authority (AIDEA).  Mr. Gardiner also has advised state and local governments on tax and fee strategies related to major private developments.

Most recently, he has been business advisor to the Oregon Health and Science University for the River Campus / South Waterfront project – a $2+ billion bio-technology, academic, clinical, housing and commercial mixed use development.  Mr. Gardiner also recently advised the City of Bend and Washington County on strategies for financing infrastructure and services in those rapidly growing Oregon communities.  He is also assisting the City of Springfield in negotiating a development agreement for a major mixed-use riverfront development.  Mr. Gardiner’s other recent major projects include the Portland Airport MAX Light Rail system and the creation of the LOTT Wastewater Alliance in Washington. 

Mr. Gardiner developed financing strategies for over 30 sports and entertainment venues across North America including Portland’s Rose Garden, Phoenix's BancOne Ballpark, GM Place in Vancouver, B.C., Seattle's Key Arena.  As “financial architect” for the San Francisco Giants, he designed and implemented the unique financing for Pacific Bell (now AT&T) Park – the first privately financed MLB ballpark since Dodger Stadium in 1962.  He was also CFO of Portland Family Entertainment, which developed PGE Park in Portland.

In addition to his successful financial advisory practice, Mr. Gardiner has a long history of involvement in other business and entrepreneurial activities.  In addition to Octavian Scientific,  Mr. Gardiner also serves on the board of Quiet Flight LLC, which is commercializing an FAA-certified innovative new volumetric noise cancellation system for aircraft, and on the board of AvroTec, Inc., a research, design and manufacturing company developing new aviation cockpit technologies.  From 1991 to 2002, Mr. Gardiner, as Director of Research and Development for AvroTec, secured and managed a number of multi-million dollar NASA research contracts and was Cockpit Integration Systems Engineer for NASA’s AGATE program.  He co-led the AGATE cockpit systems architecture team, and was granted a US patent for a specialized cockpit input device.  He also managed the FAA certification of AvroTec’s FlightMonitor cockpit information system. 

Mr. Gardiner has been a leader on numerous public and civic boards, currently including the 6-member Oregon Investment Council, which oversees the $60+ billion portfolio for Oregon’s public pension and trust funds.  He recently completed terms on the board of the Children’s Relief Nursery which serves at-risk infants and children, and on the board of OPERS.  He has previously been in board leadership positions for the City Club of Portland, the Oregon Symphony, the Metropolitan Arts Commission/Regional Arts and Culture Council, the Cultural Advocacy Coalition, and Northwest Business for Arts & Culture.  Mr. Gardiner was a transition team member for two Oregon governors and maintains strong relationships with Oregon’s local, state and national elected officials.

From 1989 to 1995, Mr. Gardiner served as Managing Director for Public Financial Management, a financial advisory firm, where he headed that firm’s International Economic Development Finance practice, and from 1985 to 1989 was a principal in another national financial advisory firm.  From 1979 to 1985, Mr. Gardiner was City Economist, Budget Officer and ultimately CFO/CAO of a $700 million-budget public corporation – the City of Portland, Oregon – with a tenure spanning the terms of four mayors.  Prior to joining the City, Mr. Gardiner served as a consulting utility economist.

Mr. Gardiner earned a B.S. (with Highest Honors) in Economics from Portland State University.