Cary Kochman
Cary Allan Kochman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day |
| Occupation | Banker |
| Known for | Sole Head of the Global Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Citigroup; Chairman of Citigroup's Chicago office |
Cary Allan Kochman (born April 1965) is a prominent American banker who holds the position of Sole Head of the Global Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Citigroup, in addition to serving as Chairman of Citigroup's Chicago office. He is a member of the Global Investment Banking Operating Committee and is widely acknowledged as a specialist in Mergers and Acquisitions.
Early life
Kochman completed his undergraduate studies at the Honors College of the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1986, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting while also pursuing philosophy with a focus on epistemology. He obtained both his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and an MBA from the Booth School of Business in 1990. His academic journey included time at London Business School and he was awarded a Nikko Fellowship, allowing him to study in Tokyo, Japan. He is licensed to practice law in Illinois and has successfully passed the examinations for both C.P.A. and C.M.A. certifications.
Career
At Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Cary Kochman serves as the Sole Head of the Global Mergers and Acquisitions Group and holds the role of Chairman for the Chicago office. He also participates on the Global Operating Committee for BCMA (Banking, Capital Markets & Advisory). Kochman joined Citigroup in 2011, initially appointed as Joint Global Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, following his departure from UBS.
Prior to Citigroup, Kochman was recruited by UBS in 2004 as Co-Head of Americas Mergers & Acquisitions. During his tenure there, he led both the Chicago office and Midwest Region, while also serving on the UBS Americas IBD Executive Committee.
Before joining UBS, Kochman dedicated 14 years to Credit Suisse (previously Credit Suisse First Boston), where he culminated his service as Head of the US M&A Department for two years. His leadership roles there included heading Industrial Corporate Advisory & Finance as well as Industrial M&A.
Advisory experience
Kochman has played an advisory role in transactions exceeding $1 trillion across multiple sectors. Notably, he was instrumental in advising on Shire’s $82 billion acquisition by Takeda Pharmaceutical, marking it as the largest Japanese M&A transaction and among the most significant deals within healthcare.
He provided counsel to Schneider Electric during its purchase of Larsen & Toubro’s Electrical and Automation division in India, alongside advising GGP and American National Bank on their respective sales to Brookfield Property Partners.
Kochman also advised Rockwell Collins in its $30 billion sale to United Technologies and supported Deere & Company through its $5.2 billion acquisition of Wirtgen Group. His advisory portfolio includes Baxalta’s $38 billion sale to Shire and Schneider Electric’s acquisition of Aveva’s remaining public shares.
In February 2024, he served as financial advisor to Catalent during its $16.5 billion transaction with Novo Holdings.
His extensive deal experience encompasses major transactions such as ISCAR’s sale to Berkshire Hathaway; URS’s merger with AECOM; Bucyrus International’s acquisition by Caterpillar; Tim Hortons’ sale to Burger King; Robbins & Myers’ sale to National Oilwell Varco; Eaton’s merger with Cooper Industries; Verint’s merger with Comverse Technology; Whitman’s restructuring followed by acquisition by PepsiCo; Zimmer Holdings’ hostile takeover of Centerpulse AG—which was recognized as "deal of the year"; and the tax-efficient monetization of Cargill’s holdings through the Margaret Cargill Foundation, which supports one of the largest philanthropic trusts globally.
Memberships and affiliations
Cary Kochman has participated as a member of the Visiting Committee at The University of Chicago Law School and contributed to the advisory "Council on Chicago Booth" for The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He holds a position on the advisory board of GreenLight Chicago and previously served as a trustee for the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs (CENSA). Kochman dedicated more than ten years as a Trustee of the Shedd Aquarium and remains engaged with civic groups such as The Commercial Club of Chicago. Additionally, he formerly sat on the advisory board for L.E.K. Consulting.