Joseph R. Perella is a founding partner and Chairman of Perella Weinberg Partners. The Firm was launched in June 2006, focusing on mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and asset management and Joe served as CEO from its formation to June 2014. Today it has offices in New York, Houston, London, Abu Dhabi, Austin, Calgary, Denver, Dubai and San Francisco.
Mr. Perella was Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley until May, 2005, and had been a member of the Firm’s Management Committee since 1993. Prior to being named Vice Chairman, he was Chairman of Institutional Securities and Investment Banking. Previously, he was Worldwide Head of Morgan Stanley’s Investment Banking Division.
After graduating from Lehigh University in 1964, Mr. Perella spent six years with Haskins & Sells as a CPA and served with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He also served for six years in the Reserve of the U.S. Air Force and in the Air National Guard of N.J.
In 1972, Mr. Perella earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and joined First Boston. The following year he founded First Boston’s Mergers & Acquisitions Group, which he managed until 1986. From 1986 through 1988 he was Co-Head of Investment Banking at First Boston; he served on that firm’s management committee for nine years. In 1988 he co-founded Wasserstein Perella & Co., Inc. and was Chairman of the Board until September 1993. Mr. Perella’s investment banking career of 45 years includes strategic assignments in virtually every industry and region of the world.
Mr. Perella is a Director of the American Italian Cancer Foundation, The Atlantic Salmon Federation, Boys & Girls Harbor, Inc., Foundation for Italian Art and Culture and Japan Society where he serves as its Chairman. He is a Trustee of Lehigh University and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, an Advisory Director of the Board of the Metropolitan Opera Association, and a member of the Director’s Advisory Board for Yale Cancer Center
He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a former member of the business roundtable.