Board of Directors

Paul J. Taubman is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PJT Partners, a global advisory-focused investment bank.

Since its founding in 2014, PJT Partners has become one of the fastest growing and most respected advisory firms.

Prior to founding PJT Partners, Mr. Taubman spent nearly 30 years at Morgan Stanley where he served in a series of increasingly senior positions, including as executive vice president and Co-President of Institutional Securities, with responsibility for all of the firm’s investment banking, capital markets, and sales and trading businesses. Throughout his career, he has advised companies and Boards on many of the largest and most complex strategic transactions around the globe.

Mr. Taubman serves in a leadership role on numerous philanthropic efforts including Board President of New York Cares, New York City’s largest volunteer organization; Vice Chairman of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory; Board Member of the Partnership for New York City; Advisory Council member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; National Advisory Board member of Youth, Inc.; and Trustee of the Foundation for Empowering Citizens with Autism.

Mr. Taubman received a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

K. Don Cornwell is a Co-Founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Dynasty Equity, a global sports investment firm focused on strategic investments across the sports ecosystem. Prior to founding Dynasty Equity in 2023, Mr. Cornwell was a founding partner at PJT Partners, joining our company in 2015 following an 18-year career at Morgan Stanley. At Morgan Stanley, Mr. Cornwell was in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group and established a particularly focused area of expertise in media and entertainment, specifically in sports and gaming. Prior to leaving Morgan Stanley, he served as Head of Global Sports Investment Banking. Before he joined Morgan Stanley, Mr. Cornwell worked at McKinsey & Co. as a management consultant and in corporate development for the National Football League. He sits on the Board of Trustees of the Harlem Children’s Zone, an education and social services organization in Central Harlem; the East Harlem Tutorial Program, an after-school program for children in East Harlem; Mission 44 (U.S. Board), a global charitable foundation founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton focused on promoting access to education and careers in STEM; the Board of Directors of New York Cares, New York City’s largest volunteer organization, and the VFILES Foundation, an organization with the mission to increase business ownership for creators in underrepresented communities. Mr. Cornwell served on the Management Board of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business until July 2022. He received an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and an AB in Government from Harvard College.

Skills & Qualifications

Mr. Cornwell’s extensive experience and expertise in investment banking and in the financial services industry, as well as his deep knowledge of PJT Partners’ business, operations and culture, and his understanding of the company’s clients, employees and other stakeholders, position him to contribute valuable acumen and insight to the Board.

James Costos served as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra from August 2013 to January 2017. Before his diplomatic appointment, he built a distinguished career in the entertainment and international business sectors, including his tenure as Vice President at Home Box Office (HBO) from 2007 to 2013, as well as his senior leadership roles at Revolution Studios, Tod’s S.p.A., and Hermès of Paris.

Mr. Costos currently serves as President at Secuoya Studios, a leading global Spanish television and film production company headquartered in Madrid.

He has served on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and on the board of Grifols, S.A. Deeply committed to cultural and humanitarian advancement, he also sits on the boards of the Hispanic Society of America and the Human Rights Campaign.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts.

Skills & Qualifications

Mr. Costos’ international government relations and policy experience, international marketing, operations, technology and executive leadership experience positions him well to serve on the Board. His strong international experience brings a geographically diverse perspective to the oversight of our multi-national business operations.

Peter L.S. Currie is a highly experienced senior executive, having served in senior leadership roles in high-growth, technology-driven companies. Since 2005, Mr. Currie has served as President of Currie Capital LLC, a private investment firm. Mr. Currie previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Netscape Communications Corporation and as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc. Prior to these roles, Mr. Currie spent nine years in investment banking at Morgan Stanley. In addition to his management experience, Mr. Currie has served on the boards of directors and audit committees of Twitter, Inc., Schlumberger Limited, New Relic, Inc., Clearwire Corporation, CNET Networks, Inc., Safeco Corporation, and Sun Microsystems, Inc. Mr. Currie previously served as President of the Board of Trustees of Phillips Academy. Mr. Currie holds a B.A. in Economics and French Literature from Williams College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Skills & Qualifications

Mr. Currie’s extensive expertise and experience in senior leadership roles at high-growth, technology-driven companies enable him to contribute strategic judgment and perspective to our Board.

Emily K. Rafferty is President Emerita of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Beginning in 1976 and working in various roles in development, membership, and external affairs, she was elected President of the Museum in 2005 and served in that capacity until her retirement in March 2015. During her time as President and Chief Administrative Officer, Ms. Rafferty oversaw more than 2,000 full- and part-time employees and volunteers. Her work spanned a global reach during international negotiations for fundraising, diplomatic, and travel initiatives, including collaborations with the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, and many world leaders.

Ms. Rafferty currently serves as a Vice Chair of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a Board Trustee of Carnegie Hall, and a member of the Board of Advisors for Hospital for Special Surgery, the Global Asia Society, and the Hispanic Society Museum and Library. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the American University of Beirut as well as the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ms. Rafferty served as a board member of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 2011 to 2017 (Chair, 2012 to 2016) and Koç Holdings, Istanbul from 2018 to 2024, Senior Advisor for Heritage Protection and Conservation for UNESCO from 2015 to 2017, and was Chair of NYC & Company (the city’s tourism, marketing and partnering organization) from 2008 to 2020, where she continues to serve as an ex-officio board member. She previously consulted for Russell Reynolds Associates in that firm’s non-profit sector and for The Shed, a NYC performing arts center.

Ms. Rafferty is principal of Emily K. Rafferty & Associates, a consulting resource for non-profit institutions.

Skills & Qualifications

Ms. Rafferty’s breadth and depth of expertise and experience in human capital management, operations and senior executive leadership, her global expertise as well as her understanding of monetary policy and regulation of financial institutions, provide valuable knowledge and insight to the Board.

Thomas M. Ryan is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CVS Health Corporation, formerly known as CVS Caremark Corporation, a pharmacy healthcare provider (“CVS”). He served as Chairman of CVS from April 1999 to May 2011 and Chief Executive Officer of CVS from May 1998 to February 2011 and also served as President from May 1998 to May 2010. Mr. Ryan serves on the board of Five Below, Inc., and is an Operating Partner of Advent International. Mr. Ryan was a director of Yum! Brands, Inc. from 2002 to 2017, Reebok International Ltd. from 1998 to 2005, Bank of America Corporation from 2004 to 2010 and Vantiv, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.

Skills & Qualifications

Mr. Ryan’s role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a global pharmacy healthcare business, his extensive operations and management experience, his expertise in finance and strategic planning, as well as his public company directorship and committee experience, positions him well to serve on the Board.

Grace Reksten Skaugen, a Norwegian national, has extensive experience working with a broad array of European companies. She currently chairs Orrön Energy AB (Chair of the Compensation Committee) and is a board member of Investor AB (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee). Ms. Skaugen is also a trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London. In 2009, Ms. Skaugen co-founded the Norwegian Institute of Directors, where she still serves on its board as Deputy Chair. She previously served as a senior advisor to HSBC (2014-2019) and Deutsche Bank (2007-2014). She was deputy chair (2012-2015) of the Norwegian oil company Statoil (now Equinor) and served on its board (2002-2015). Ms. Skaugen served as deputy chair (2013-2020), board member (2012-2020) and chair of the Compensation Committee at Orkla ASA, was a board member and member of the Compensation and Sustainability Committees at Lundin Energy AB (2015-2022) and chaired Euronav NV (where she was a member of the Compensation Committee, Sustainability Committee and Corporate Governance and Nomination Committee) (2016-2023). She has previous investment banking experience, having worked at the Nordic bank SEB, where she advised companies within the energy, transportation and technology sectors. Ms. Skaugen started her career as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia Radiation Laboratory in New York. She is a physicist by education and holds a PhD in laser physics from Imperial College in London. She also holds an M.B.A. from the Norwegian School of Management, BI.

Skills & Qualifications

Ms. Skaugen’s experience and expertise in the international financial services industry, as well as her extensive corporate governance and board experience, provide unique insights into our business and add industry-specific expertise and knowledge to the Board. Her strong international experience brings a geographically diverse perspective to the oversight of our multi-national business operations.

Kenneth C. Whitney has managed a private family investment office since April 2013, focused on start-up businesses and entertainment projects. Mr. Whitney was previously a Senior Managing Director and Head of Blackstone’s Investor Relations & Business Development Group from 1998 to April 2013. After joining Blackstone in 1988, Mr. Whitney focused his efforts on raising capital for Blackstone’s private investment funds and the establishment of Blackstone affiliates in the alternative investment area. Since his retirement from Blackstone in April 2013 until September 2015, he was also a Senior Advisor to Blackstone. Mr. Whitney began his career at Coopers & Lybrand in 1980, where he spent time in that firm’s accounting and audit areas as well as in the tax and mergers and acquisitions areas. Mr. Whitney is a BAFTA- and Tony Award-winning producer, currently sits on the Board of Governors of The First Tee, and is the Chair of the Investment Committee for the Endowment of the University of Delaware, where he received a B.S. in Accounting.

Skills & Qualifications

Mr. Whitney’s experience and expertise in the private equity and financial services industry, as well as his extensive financial, accounting, operations and management experience, provide unique insights into our business and add industry-specific expertise and knowledge to the Board.