Louis Gregory Rice graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. Following his graduation, Mr. Rice joined Lazard Frères & Co. (Lazard) as an Associate in the firm’s U.S. Equity Sales and Trading group. After initially working as a junior research analyst, Mr. Rice transitioned to research sales in 1988. In 1992, Mr. Rice was promoted to Vice President in the U.S. Equity Sales and Trading group; in 1994, he was promoted to Senior Vice President and Head of Sales in the group; and, in 1996, he was promoted to Managing Director.

During his tenure at Lazard, Louis Gregory Rice was responsible for developing and managing relationships with many of the firm’s institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, and investment managers. He established key client relationships; ran the daily research meeting; led marketing efforts on over 100 lead and co-managed equity financings (including IPOs, secondary offerings, PIPEs, and Registered Direct Offerings); and coordinated issue pricing on equity financings with the firm’s syndicate and banking departments. Mr. Rice also served as the primary contact for market feedback received from the firm’s investment banking and capital markets clients. Mr. Rice was involved in well over 100 transactions at Lazard, including financings/transactions in the entertainment, travel, and food services industries.

While at Lazard, Louis Gregory Rice played a key role in reorganizing the business model used by the firm’s U.S. Equity Sales and Trading group to include broader sales, research and execution capabilities. Mr. Rice also broadened the group’s market intelligence capabilities, enhanced the relevance of its research platform to senior bankers, and expanded the firm’s research efforts in Life Sciences, TMT, consumer and special situations.

In 2005, Louis Gregory Rice joined Mezzacappa Management, LLC (Mezzacappa), a New York-based financial advisory firm specializing in alternative investment solutions. Mezzacappa’s clients include corporate and public pension funds, Taft-Hartley plans, endowments, foundations, family offices and high net worth clients. Mr. Rice was hired by Mezzacappa as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), and he also served as a Managing Director.

While at Mezzacappa, Mr. Rice oversaw the firm’s finance and operational functions, and managed non-investment activities for institutional and high net worth clients invested in the firm’s $1.2 billion AUM fund of funds. Mr. Rice was also responsible for managing business development throughout the U.S. and Asia, and he directed the firm’s client communications and marketing functions with respect to consultants, institutional investors, and financial intermediaries.

Louis Gregory Rice is originally from Pittsburgh, PA. He graduated from Shady Side Academy prior to enrolling at Vanderbilt University.