Chazen Global Advisory Board

Jerome Chazen was the Chair of The Jerome A. Chazen Institute for Global Business, which he founded through an endowment to the Columbia Business School in 2006 and through an additional $10MM gift in 2016, and which serves as the focal point for all global programs at Columbia Business School. He was founder and chairman of Chazen Capital Partners, a private investment firm. He was also chairman emeritus and one of four founding partners of Liz Claiborne, Inc.

Laurent Ganem is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of G Square Healthcare Private Equity LLP, a London-based Private Equity firm entirely dedicated to investing in pan-European mid-cap Healthcare services and products companies.

Between 1994 and 2007, Laurent was a Partner at Apax Partners in Paris in charge of the Healthcare investment practice: he realized investments in Biotech, MedTech and Healthcare Services companies from startup and early stage to mature buy-outs, in Europe and the United States.

Mary Ann Casati’s professional business leadership experience spans more than 35 years across multiple sectors within the financial services industry. During her 20-year career at Goldman Sachs, she was one of a group of four to launch Wall Street’s first Equity Capital Markets Group; she subsequently developed and ran the first Retailing Industry Investment Banking Group on Wall Street, building it into a leading global business for Goldman Sachs; she became Partner and Managing Director; and developed and led numerous diversity initiatives.

Michel is the Managing Partner of Lalaye Investments, LLC., a private investment partnership, which he founded in 2012. From 2021 to 2023, Michel was a co-founder of World Quantum Growth Acquisition Corp., a Special Purpose Acquisition Company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. During 2019-2020 Michel was also the CEO, Americas for $15BN London-based hedge fund CQS. From 2005 to 2015, Michel was a Managing Partner, COO, CFO, and Head of Business Development at Amber Capital, a New York and London-based hedge fund he co-founded in 2005 and which grew to $7BN.

David Chazen is the founding partner of Strategic Equity Investors, a real estate investment firm headquartered in Chicago. The firm focuses on three verticals: Strategic Government Properties specializes in the ownership of U.S. Government mission-critical security facilities, Strategic Healthcare Properties invests in outpatient medical facilities, and Strategic Credit Investors is a specialized real estate lending platform.

Wei Sun Christianson is a Managing Director, and Co-CEO of Asia Pacific and CEO of China for Morgan Stanley. She is also a member of the Firm’s Management Committee.

She first joined Morgan Stanley in 1998 working in the Firm's investment banking division. Between 2002 and 2005 she served as Chairman for China for Credit Suisse and subsequently for Citigroup Global Markets. She rejoined Morgan Stanley at the beginning of 2006 as the Firm’s CEO for China.

Filippo de Vecchi is currently pursuing private equity investments through his own investment vehicle, Fedeclama HK Limited.

Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr is the founder and director of ICAP and an international expert in infectious diseases and public health with extensive experience in epidemiology and research on the prevention and management of HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and emerging infections, among others. She is also the director of Columbia World Projects and director of the Mailman School's Global Health Initiative (GHI), which mobilizes the university community to address critical challenges in global health.

Marie Ffolkes is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Axxelist LLC, a technology real estate company, where she leads the company in executing its mission and strategy. She recently served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of TriMark USA, LLC, a $2.1B private equity company, which provides design services, equipment, and supplies to the food services industry. She serves on the Boards of two publicly traded companies - Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO ~$176B) and Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS ~$8.4B), and one private equity company Colson Group Holdings, LLC.

Manuel Hein is the founding partner of Heing® Venture Architects, a globally operating venture platform. Heing® targets ventures with transformative strategies that revitalize incumbent industries, ensuring they deliver tangible impact on the UN Sustainable Development Goals as well as substantial returns. All projects are secured by an early order book, transforming concepts into execution-ready projects with embedded returns.

Fred is Chairman of Primavera Capital Group, a China-based global investment firm focusing on innovative industries.

Prior to founding Primavera Capital, Fred was Chairman of Greater China and a Partner at Goldman Sachs Group, where he was instrumental in building the firm's franchise in the Asia Pacific region. 

Professor Hubbard is a specialist in public economics, managerial information and incentive problems in corporate finance, and financial markets and institutions. He has written more than 100 articles and books on corporate finance, investment decisions, banking, energy economics and public policy, including two textbooks, and has authored The Wall and the Bridge and coauthored Balance, The Aid Trap, and Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.

Focus areas: International trade and investment, Japan, China & Asia, competition law and policy, digital economy.

Merit E. Janow is an internationally recognized expert in international trade and investment. She has extensive experience in academia, government and business, and has been involved with the Asia-Pacific region for her entire life.

Michelle leverages her finance, startup, international development and management consulting experience to shift the African finance and agriculture landscape.

Meera Mayer is Executive Director for Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. Prior to that she was a general partner of Zedd Capital LLC, a managed long/short equity hedge fund. Before founding Zedd Capital in 2002, Ms. Mayer was a senior portfolio manager and vice president at Goldman Sachs Asset Management where she co-managed large-cap value portfolios for mutual fund, institutional, and high-net-worth clients. In addition to portfolio management she also had primary research responsibility for technology, healthcare, telecommunications, and media.

Beth Michelson is Chief Financial Officer of NorthStar Earth & Space, which seeks to make space and satellite operations safer by more accurately detecting space objects. She is also Chief Financial Officer of Cartesian Growth Corporation II (NASDAQ: RENE) and a Partner at Cartesian Capital Partners, a global private equity firm.

James Prusky is a partner and co-founder in Latam Trade Capital (LTC), a specialty finance investment company. He has helped build the firm from inception and is responsible for developing strategy, new business, and capital sources for the firm. LTC is backed by some of the world’s largest global investors and receives funding from institutions in the US, Europe, and Latin America.

Varsheeni Raghupathy is the founder and CEO of Ikwetta, East Africa’s first female-led footwear and fashion brand. Through Ikwetta, Varsheeni has trained and hired over 172 artisans and produces 100% of her designs in Kenya using locally sourced sustainable raw materials. With over 70% of her team made up of women, her brand of ethically produced footwear, handbags, and fashion accessories are sold in more than 20 countries.

Fuad currently serves as Vice Chairman and Global Head of Consumer Investment Banking at Canaccord Genuity, a globally renowned full-service investment bank. With over three decades of passion, energy, and industry experiences, Fuad has been instrumental in guiding some of the most respected Consumer Branded companies in the US and abroad. His strategic insights have enabled public companies, private equity portfolios, and family businesses to achieve their long-term value creation strategies. Inspired by visionaries like Steve Jobs, Fuad established Sawaya Partners in September 2001.

Lulu C. Wang is the CEO and Chair of Tupelo Capital Management, which she founded in 1998. Prior to that, Ms. Wang was a director and executive vice president of Jennison Associates Capital Corporation for 10 years. While at Jennison, she managed major funds for endowments, pensions and mutual funds. Before joining Jennison Associates in 1988, she served as senior vice president and managing director at Equitable Capital Management, responsible for portfolio management, research, and trading of public equities.