a little pressure off, knowing I had a backup if worked at the firm from 1998 to 2001 before helping Hugh McColl Jr. start McColl Partners

LLP’s Corporate Finance Unit in 2013. “No one MBAs at Harvard Business School, “people in 2006. “It creates ownership at every level in firm changed its name in 1977.

had classmates going to Goldman Sachs or firm’s first four years. But Bowles Hollowell J.P. Morgan or Morgan Stanley or Chase or benefited as the Southeast economy revved in off Goldman’s table,” Mealy says. “They little firm in Charlotte, , with of a fourth partner, Steve Cummings, who had worked in corporate finance at Kidder Peabody up in boys doubles at Wimbledon in 1982, and Size was part of the appeal. Staff could live in leafy, affluent Charlotte neighborhoods as been a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. By and do the same kind of work the larger firms close as 10 minutes from the office. “I went with a market scoffed at by Wall Street, prompting to 3% of total transaction value, depending First Union CEO Ed Crutchfield Jr. to buy the and corporate finance and we could own the have a Wall Street-type experience, maybe even work. I thought the first deal would be very firm could develop a national clientele. In the businesses that needed financing or wanted to a concerted effort to find talented bankers who find a buyer but didn’t know how to do that.” When Bowles departed to lead the U.S. hub, spurred by the growth of First Union and Small Business Administration and, later, serve as Clinton’s chief of staff, his company had Stanley what I was doing, and they thought I A 1993 case study by Harvard Business School cited the company’s collegial culture. Erskine Bowles’ world – connect the plots

Graduate of UNC Graduate of Sold Bowles Hollowell Appointed Clinton’s Headed task force Ran for U.S. Senate, Joined board of Became president of Joined board of Chapel Hill, class Columbia Business stake to partners in 1993. deputy chief of on rural economic losing to Elizabeth Morgan Stanley UNC System in 2006. under of 1967, longtime School, class of staff, then chief development Dole in 2002. under Chairman Appointed Holden Thorp Chairman Mark Appointed to head U.S. Small friend of Dean 1969, with Henry of staff between started by Gov. Jim John Mack in 2005. as UNC Chapel Hill Zuckerberg in Business Administration Smith. Kravis, co-founder 1994-98. Hunt in 1999. chancellor in 2008. 2011. by President in of KKR. 1993.

19451967 1969 1971 1975 1977 1993 1996 1998 1999 2002 2004 2005 2008 2010 2011

Born in Married Started Bowles Started Carousel Joined Forstmann Ran for U.S. Senate, Co-chaired National Greensboro in 1945, Crandall Close Financial Services Capital private-equity Little private-equity losing to Richard Commission on Fiscal son of Jessamine Bowles in 1971. in 1975, renamed firm with Nelson firm run by Ted Burr in 2004. Responsibility and and Hargrove Bowles Hollowell Schwab in 1996. Forstmann in 1999. Reform with Sen. Alan “Skipper” Bowles Jr. Conner in 1977. Simpson in 2010.

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