Financier Jeffrey P. Williams to Address December Graduates at the University of Cincinnati

Jeffrey P. Williams, president of Jeffrey Williams & Co. and trustee and chairman of the University of Cincinnati Foundation, will address graduates at UC’s third December Commencement Ceremony at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, in Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center.

Based in New York City, Jeffrey Williams & Co. is an independent advisory firm providing counsel on a wide range of strategic and financial matters. Clients have ranged from publicly-traded Fortune 500 companies to private businesses in the United States and around the world.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Williams spent his childhood in Cincinnati and earned a bachelor of architecture from UC in 1975. In 1979, he graduated with distinction with his MBA from the Harvard Business School.

With more than 20 years of investment banking, private equity and corporate management experience, Williams has advised the world’s largest corporations in the areas of finance and technological innovation and has orchestrated industry-changing corporate restructurings.

Prior to founding his own firm, Williams was a partner at the Greenhill & Co. independent global investment banking firm and was lead advisor in the media, technology and telecommunications industries. He served as principal financial advisor on transactions valued in access of $5.2 billion for clients that included Compaq Computer Corporation, the Alta Vista Company, Opus360 Corporation and Chancellor Media Corporation.

Williams previously served as executive vice president, Strategic Development and Global Markets, for the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. – a global multimedia publishing and information company that operates in the finance, education, construction, medical and health, aerospace and defense markets. Williams led the successful development of the company’s first comprehensive framework for international expansion.

Prior to joining McGraw-Hill, Williams spent 17 years at Morgan Stanley & Co. in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Finance Departments. During his career at Morgan Stanley, he advised clients throughout North America, Europe and Southeast Asia, serving as principal financial advisor on transactions valued in excess of $200 billion. In 1995 and 1996, he was directly responsible for guiding the separation of AT&T into its five constituent parts, including the initial public offering of Lucent Technologies. Williams’ transaction experience spans a variety of deal structures that include mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, equity and debt financings.

In addition to serving as trustee and chairman of the UC Foundation, Williams also serves as trustee of the New York-based International Center of Photography, as a member of the President’s Council at Environmental Defense and as trustee of the New Canaan Library Association.

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