Yale School of Management - Alumni Leaders

"Since I was at Yale SOM, the business environment has obviously changed dramatically. No doubt case studies in marketing or finance for the class of '03 bear little resemblance to those of the class of '79. Looking back, classmates of my 'vintage' participated in an unimaginable expansion of business complexity and media attention over the past 20 years. With the help of '24/7' business news networks and frothy markets, both profound and cosmetic changes came at an ever faster pace. 'Services' became 'solutions,' 'industries' became 'spaces,' 'efficiency' became 'productivity,' and 'strategy' became everything. While new management and financial practices (both valid and not) have come and gone, the value of my Yale SOM experience has been anything but ephemeral. It would have been impossible for any school or faculty to anticipate the changes that have occurred in management and finance since I was at Yale SOM. Nevertheless, Yale SOM was somehow able to impart an enduring way to think about business problems, make decisions, and create opportunities which I try to use virtually everyday. In my view, Yale SOM has an incalculable 'ROI.'"

Ellis B. Jones is chief executive officer of Wasserstein & Co., a private equity firm which manages venture capital and leveraged buyout funds. The Firm has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Palo Alto.

Formerly, Mr. Jones was a managing director of Wasserstein Perella & Co., which he joined in February of 1995. He was a managing director in investment banking at Salomon Brothers during the period of 1988 through 1994. Before that period, he was a vice president in investment banking at The First Boston Corporation.

Mr. Jones graduated from the Yale School of Management and the University of California at Berkeley. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Element K Corporation, American Lawyer Media, True Advantage, IMAX Corporation, Phoenix House (a non-profit organization) and The Cate School in Carpinteria, California. He also serves as a senior advisor to Lazard Frères & Co.

Ellis lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Lisa Taylor, and his two daughters, Savannah and Taylor.