At its recent meeting, the University of Chicago Board of Trustees elected new members Frank A. Baker II, AB’94, co-founder and managing partner of Siris Capital Group, LLC, and Guru Ramakrishnan, MBA’88, founder and CEO of the Meru Capital Group. Baker and Ramakrishnan begin their five-year terms at the May board meeting.
“Frank and Guru have shown extraordinary commitment for many years to the University of Chicago community and the University’s vital work of research, education and impact,” said Board Chairman Joseph Neubauer, MBA’65. “We look forward to benefitting from their dedication, experience, and professional insights in the years ahead.”
Frank A. Baker II
Baker is co-founder and managing partner of Siris Capital Group, LLC. Siris is a $2.4 billion private equity firm focused on value and control equity investments in data, telecommunications, technology and technology-enabled business service companies.
Prior to forming Siris Capital, Baker was a Managing Director at Ripplewood Holdings, LLC, a global private equity firm. He started his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Mergers and Acquisitions Group.
Baker has been a major supporter of the College, including the New Leaders Odyssey Scholarships. In March 2016, University recognized a gift of $7 million for the Odyssey program from Baker and his wife, Laura Day. In addition, Baker serves as a member of the College and Student Activities Visiting Committee at the University of Chicago. Baker is a board member of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and is a former board member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Guru Ramakrishnan
Ramakrishnan is the founder and CEO of Meru Capital Group, a hedge fund adviser based in New York.
Prior to Meru Capital, Ramakrishnan was CEO and co-CIO at Old Lane, LP, a $4.5 billion investment management firm. He co-founded Old Lane in 2005 and built out both the hedge fund and the India private-equity businesses that launched in 2006. Following the sale of Old Lane to Citigroup in 2007 for $900 million, Ramakrishnan went on to become a member of Citigroup’s management committee.
Before co-founding Old Lane, Ramakrishnan was a managing director at Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York, where he was responsible for global equity trading and products. During his 17 years at Morgan Stanley, Ramakrishnan worked in capital markets, investment banking, and the sales and trading side of the business.
Ramakrishnan is a contributing writer to several publications, including the South China Morning Post, Business Line and The Economic Times. From 2005 to 2007, he served on the board of directors of Diversified Global Asset Management, a leading alternatives investment firm, before it was sold to Citigroup in 2007.
He currently serves on the University of Chicago Campaign Council and the New York Roundtable. A member of the Harper Society and Founder’s Circle, Ramakrishnan has provided support to the Division of the Humanities and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
—Prof. Kunle Odunsi
