Peter J. Solomon

Peter J. Solomon (born September 17, 1938) is an American investment banker and the founder and chairman of PJ SOLOMON, one of the country's first independent investment banks. He is also a former New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy and Development.

Peter J. Solomon
Born1938 (age 82–83)
NationalityAmerican
EducationHarvard University (BS, MBA)
OccupationBusinessman
Known forFounder of PJ SOLOMON
Spouse(s)Susan B. Rebell
Parent(s)Sidney L. Solomon
Jeannette Rabb

Early life and education

Peter J. Solomon was born in Manhattan, New York on September 17, 1938 to Sidney L. Solomon, the chairman of department store chain Abraham & Straus, and Jeannette (Rabb) Solomon.[1][2] He attended the Collegiate School on New York's Upper West Side and graduated from Lawrenceville School, a private boarding school in Lawrenceville, NJ.[3][1]

Solomon graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1960,[4][5] where he majored in government, and received a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1963.[1]

Career

Solomon began his career in the statistics department of Merrill Lynch in 1958.[6] He joined Lehman Brothers as an associate in the corporate finance department after graduating from business school in 1963. He became a managing director in 1971 and a member of the firm's board of directors in 1976.[7][8][9]

He also served as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School.[1]

Government activity

In 1978, Solomon was appointed Deputy Mayor for Economic Policy and Development by New York City mayor Edward I. Koch, a position he held until 1980.[6][10] He was Koch’s principal advisor on taxes, ports, energy and private sector employment and commerce.[11][12]

As Deputy Mayor, Solomon led negotiations to host the 1980 Democratic National Convention.[13] He also encouraged the development of movie and television studios in New York City.[14]

As chairman of the Industrial & Commercial Incentive Board (ICIB), Solomon instituted reform to the real estate tax abatement system, restructuring the system to curb abuses and loopholes, while stimulating private real estate investment.[15] He also served as chairman of New York’s Health and Hospital Corporation, managing 17 municipal hospitals.[16]

In 1980, Solomon was appointed Counselor to the United States Treasury Secretary under President Jimmy Carter, where he oversaw the President's auto task force and industrial policy.[17][18][19]

In 1981, Solomon returned to Lehman Brothers. He remained at Lehman and its successor, Shearson Lehman, until the end of the decade, becoming vice chairman of the firm, co-chair of the investment banking division and chairman of the merchant banking division.[20][21][22]

Peter J. Solomon company

Solomon left Lehman in 1989 to found the Peter J. Solomon Company, a boutique financial advisory firm that was one of the first independent investment banks in the country.[23] The company advised public and private companies on mergers & acquisitions, capital structure and restructuring.[24]

The Peter J. Solomon company's clients include Lands' End in its sale to Sears; Zagat, in its sale to Google and Office Depot and Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. (PVH) via multiple acquisitions.[6][25] While the firm is known for its focus on consumer and media clients, it has expanded into a number of other sectors including energy, infrastructure, power, renewables, media, grocery and restaurants, among others.

In 2016, Natixis, the international investment banking arm of French financial institution Groupe BPCE, acquired a 51% majority stake in the Company, which subsequently rebranded as PJ SOLOMON in 2019.[26][27]

Cuomo administration

In 2013, Solomon was appointed as the co-chairman of Governor Cuomo’s Tax Reform and Fairness Commission, charged with proposing reforms to the state’s tax code.[28] He also served on the Governor’s Spending and Government Efficiency Commission, responsible for streamlining New York’s agencies and bureaucracy.[29]

Other activities

Solomon is currently a director of Monro, Inc., an automotive service company, of which he was previously the chairman from 1984 to 2007.[4] He previously served on a number of company boards, including:

  • Associated Dry Goods Corporation
  • BKF Capital Group, Inc.
  • Centennial Cellular Corporation
  • Century Communications Corp.
  • Edison Brothers Stores, Inc.
  • Esquire, Inc.
  • Handyman Corporation
  • Lawfin International Limited
  • LIN Broadcasting Corporation
  • The Miller-Wohl Company
  • Office Depot, Inc.
  • Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
  • The Stop & Shop Companies, Inc.
  • Zagat Survey LLC

Personal life

Solomon is married to the former Susan Rebell.[30] They have five children and twelve grandchildren.[9]

He is an experienced beekeeper and donated a large gift to build an insectarium bearing his name at the American Museum of Natural History.[6][31] He also has a collection of children’s books and illustrations that is promised to the Houghton Library at Harvard University.[5]

In 2019, Solomon published a memoir titled Wasting Time Constructively: A Guide to a Balanced Life.[6]

Charitable contributions

Solomon’s personal foundation was established in 1987.[32] He is a board member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases and Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research. He is also a member of the Board of Overseers of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.[33] Solomon is a trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, Co-Chair Emeritus with his wife of the American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay, Chairman Emeritus and director of The Manhattan Theatre Club and a trustee of the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation.

At Harvard University, Solomon is Chairman of the Friends of the Center for Jewish Studies.[34] He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[33] Previously, he was a chairman of the Hudson Guild and an overseer of Harvard University.[33][35]

References
  1. Gupte, Pranay (May 9, 1978). "Deputy Mayor for Economics". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  2. Barmash, Isadore (September 26, 1975). "Sidney L. Solomon Dead at 73; Abraham & Straus Chairman". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  3. Solomon, Peter (2019). Wasting Time Constructively. Pink House, LLC. p. 99. ISBN 978-0578206998.
  4. "MNRO Company Profile & Executives - Monro Inc. - Wall Street Journal". quotes.wsj.com. Retrieved 2019-07-26.
  5. Buckley, Kaitlin (January 15, 2019). "A new vision for Houghton Library". The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  6. Gordon, Amanda L. (October 5, 2018). "At Home in East Hampton With Banker-Philosopher Peter Solomon". Bloomberg. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  7. "New Merger Chief Named at Shearson". The New York Times. July 26, 1984. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  8. Cole, Robert J. (September 30, 1976). "7 Partners Relinquish Posts On Lehman Brothers Board". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  9. "PETER SOLOMON, "WASTING TIME CONSTRUCTIVELY" IN CONVERSATION WITH JAMES D. ZIRIN". BookHampton. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  10. "Principals Affected by Shake‐Up in Koch Administration". The New York Times. August 3, 1979. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  11. Solomon (2019), p. 131.
  12. Rubin, Marilyn (2011). A Guide to New York State Taxes (PDF).
  13. Carroll, Maurice (June 30, 1979). "'80 Convention Contract Delayed by Some Snags". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  14. Soffer, Jonathan (2010). Ed Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 240. ISBN 978-0231150323.
  15. Sterba, James F. (July 16, 1978). "City, Citing Economic Upswing, to Take Closer Look At Midtown Commercial Buildings' Tax Abatements". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  16. Gupte, Pranay (March 3, 2006). "Solomon Saw India's Potential Early On". The Sun. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  17. Haberman, Clyde (June 18, 1980). "Solomon Leaving City Hall for U.S. Job". The New York Times. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  18. "Koch Announces Choice For Deputy Mayor's Post". The New York Times. September 5, 1980. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  19. Cowan, Edward (August 8, 1980). "Carter to Stress Existing Policies In Industry Plan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  20. "Veteran Bankers in Health Care Join Peter J. Solomon". New York Times. March 19, 2009. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  21. "Lane Named President of Shearson". LA Times. February 26, 1987. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  22. "New Position for Solomon". The New York Times. May 5, 1988. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  23. Gelles, David (December 16, 2012). "The Psychiatrist of Finance". The Financial Times. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  24. Weber, Lauren (March 6, 2005). "Retail's merger mania". Newsday. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  25. Cheng, Andria (July 22, 2013). "RadioShack reportedly has hired investment bank Peter J. Solomon". MarketWatch. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  26. de la Merced, Michael (February 10, 2016). "Natixis Acquires 51% Stake in Peter J. Solomon Co". The New York Times. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  27. "PJ Solomon Celebrates 30th Anniversary With Corporate Rebrand". PJ Solomon. January 22, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  28. Kaplan, Thomas (December 11, 2012). "Cuomo Names Commissioners to Tax-Reform Panel". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  29. "Governor Cuomo Announces Members of SAGE Commission to Modernize and Right-Size State Government". New York State. April 19, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  30. "WEDDINGS: Susan B. Rebell, Peter J. Solomon". The New York Times. April 28, 1996. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  31. "American Museum of Natural History breaks ground on $383 million, 230,000 s/f Richard Gilder Center". New York Real Estate Journal. July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  32. "Peter and Susan Solomon Family Foundation". GuideStar. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  33. "Peter and Susan Solomon". Inside Philanthropy. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  34. "Friends and Donors: Peter J Solomon". Harvard Center for Jewish Studies.
  35. "Happy Birthday, Peter J. Solomon!" (PDF). CJS News. April 2019. p. 13.
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