Mendoza School of Business

Two trustees join Kauffman Foundation Board; Jordan, de Oliveira bring significant knowledge of business, investment, philanthropy

Published: September 21, 2005 / Author: Mendoza College



KANSAS CITY, Mo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 21, 2005–John W. “Jay” Jordan and Ramon de Oliveira have joined the board of trustees of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Jordan is chairman and CEO of Jordan Industries, a Chicago-based holding company. de Oliveira is a private investor and managing partner of Logan Pass Partners, LLC in New York City.

Both new trustees bring broad business and philanthropic expertise, as well as extensive investment experience, to the Kauffman Foundation — a $1.8 billion private foundation based in Kansas City, Mo., that focuses on advancing entrepreneurship and youth education.

Jordan was a pioneer in the merchant banking business, overseeing the private equity/buyout business at Carl Marks & Co. during the 1970s. In 1982, he founded The Jordan Company, a New York-based private equity/buyout investment firm. The Jordan group formed JZ International, LLC as a platform for European acquisitions and JIR, a subsidiary of Jordan Industries, Inc., to conduct business in Russia.

Jordan holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame. He also attended the MBA program at Columbia University before going to work on Wall Street.

With 24 years of experience at JP Morgan & Co., de Oliveira also has significant investment expertise. Until August 2001, he led the investment management and private banking businesses for JP Morgan Chase, representing over $600 billion in institutional and retail assets. Prior to that, he started and ran JP Morgan’s equity underwriting, trading and sales business in New York and in London.

de Oliveira is an adjunct professor at the Stern School of Business at New York University and at the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University. He is a graduate of the University of Paris and of the Institute for Political Sciences.

“We’re delighted to have Jay and Ramon join the board,” said John A. (Tony) Mayer Jr., chairman of the board of trustees of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “They bring to us broad knowledge and experience, and importantly, they share our passion for the mission of this Foundation.”

In addition to the Kauffman Foundation, de Oliveira serves on the boards of The Hartford Insurance Company and American Century Companies, Inc. He is also a former director of SunGard Data Systems. Jordan serves on more than 40 public, private and philanthropic boards, including the University of Notre Dame, the Chicago Public Library and the Chicago Art Institute.

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About the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at www.kauffman.org.

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