Larry Grafstein (born Laurence S. Grafstein) is an American investment banker and Mergers and Acquisitions advisor, currently the Deputy Chairman of the Global Investment Bank at RBC Capital Markets.
Early life and education
Larry Grafstein is the son of former Canadian senator Jerry Grafstein and Carole Grafstein, a member of the Order of Canada. He graduated from Harvard University with Bachelor of Arts in 1982 where he was Executive Editor of The Harvard Crimson. He received his M.Phil degree from University of Oxford at Balliol, where he was a Rhodes Scholar and president of the Oxford Union. He received his Juris Doctor from University of Torronto Faculty of Law in 1988.
Career
Grafstein began his Wall Street career at Wasserstein Perella & Co. in 1990. In 2001, he became the Managing Director and Co-head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at the investment bank, Lazard Ltd. In March 2009, Grafstein helped lead the group that bought The New Republic magazine, together with its longtime editor Martin Peretz, from CanWest Communications. He also chaired The New Republic’s Advisory Board until its subsequent sale to Facebook co-founder, Chris Hughes in 2012.
Later in 2009, Grafstein joined Rothschild & Co. in New York as a Managing Director and Co-head of M&A. In September 2012, he left Rothschild & Co and joined Swiss financial services company, UBS Group AG as Co-head of M&A in the Americas. He worked at UBS as the co-head of M&A in the Americas. Since September 2018, Grafstein has served as the Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of the Global Investment Bank at RBC Capital Markets.
Larry Grafstein is also the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Horace Mann School, a member of the executive committee of the Wall Street division of UJA-Federation of New York and a member of the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Foundation of Upper Canada College, his high school alma mater.
Personal life
Grafstein has been married to Rebecca Weatherhead since 1989.