MICHAEL W. GEFFRARD
Michael W. Geffrard is the founder of LIATI Group, LLC and the President of LIATI Capital, LLC. The anchor relationship for the firm for the past 20 years has been advising a high net worth family in New York on their private equity portfolio. He has also led many of the firm’s key assignments with prominent private equity funds, venture capital funds and project finance assignments. Mr. Geffrard has successfully executed scores of transactions over his career in private equity, infrastructure financings involving tax-exempt and taxable financings, leveraged lease financings, and corporate financings. His career financing experience totals $25 billion, $20 billion of which is associated with managing the infrastructure financing function for the City of New York. Mr. Geffrard has extensive experience in managing large capital financing programs that require multiple issuances over a period of years, as well as individual financings for companies at various stages of development.
Prior to forming LIATI, Mr. Geffrard was First Deputy Comptroller for the City of New York. In this capacity, he served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Office of the Comptroller of the City of New York and had direct oversight responsibility for its (then) $70 billion pension system and the issuance of debt pursuant to the City’s ten-year $45 billion capital investment program. His responsibilities included overseeing the Comptroller’s work on behalf of the five major pension funds that comprise the City’s pension systems, including asset allocations, fund performance and the selection of asset managers. He began his career in New York City government as the Director of Public Finance for the City of New York in the administration of Mayor David N. Dinkins.
Mr. Geffrard began his professional career at Chemical Bank, where he worked in the International Project Finance and Syndications Department. He subsequently worked in the Merchant Banking Group, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, private placements and project financings. He also worked as a lending officer for the Bank’s Middle East/Africa Territory, where he was responsible for managing a trade finance and project finance portfolio for Francophone West Africa. He began his career in municipal finance at a successful investment banking boutique firm that engaged in public finance advisory work, specialty corporate finance services, and project finance. The firm went public in 1986 and Mr. Geffrard was appointed Chief Financial Officer of the company. He left the firm in 1988 to co-found a municipal finance brokerage firm and joined the Dinkins administration in New York City government in early 1990.
Mr. Geffrard received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History at Yale University, a Juris Doctor Degree from Columbia University Law School, and a Master of Business Administration Degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.