Mario Baeza
Encyclopedia
Mario L. Baeza is an American corporate lawyer
, merchant banker, entrepreneur
, musician/composer and philanthropist
.
, but after a brief period moved to Cuba
where he was raised until the age of seven. (His family later emigrated from Cuba; six months before Fidel Castro
came to power). He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University
in 1971 (honors and distinctions in all subjects), and earned a Juris Doctor
from Harvard Law School
in 1974.
He is currently the founder and controlling shareholder of the Baeza Group LLC, the first U.S. Hispanic-owned merchant banking firm; the founder and chairman of V-me Media Inc., a national Spanish language television network distributed through the digital channels of public television affiliate stations; and the founder and chairman of AJM Records, an independent record label.
Mario L. Baeza served as Chairman and CEO of TCW/LAP from its inception until 2003 and as Chairman until 2006. In 2003, Mr. Baeza formed The Baeza Group, a Hispanic-owned alternative investment firm specializing in the management of private equity investments targeting the U.S. Hispanic domestic emerging market and hedge fund
products centered around global macro strategies.
From 1994 to 1996, Mr. Baeza was President of Wasserstein Perella International Limited and Chairman and CEO of Grupo Wasserstein Perella, a Latin America focused joint venture between Baeza & Co. and Wasserstein Perella
.
From 1974 to 1994, Mr. Baeza was an associate and then, at the age of 29, became a partner of the international law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton
where he specialized in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and the negotiation and structuring of private equity funds and private equity investments. He also became the leading expert in the country on the use of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as defensive tools in hostile takeovers. Mr. Baeza also founded and was the head of the firm's Latin America Group and, prior to that, its leveraged buyout practice, and its telecommunications and new technology practice. Mr. Baeza was consistently the top or one of the top billing partners of the firm. He was also the first Black or Latino to start as an associate in a major New York law firm and rise through the ranks to full partnership.
Mr. Baeza has had a long and successful career in media. In 1992, Mr. Baeza, together with Wynton Marsalis
, Gordon Davis, Albert Murray and Nat Leventhal, co-founded Jazz@Lincoln Center, which became a full constituent of Lincoln Center co-equal with the Metropolitan Opera
, New York Philharmonic
and American Ballet Theatre
. In 2004, Jazz@Lincoln Center moved to its new home in the Time-Warner Center after a successful $130 million capital campaign, the largest for Jazz music in history. Led by Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra has become the most celebrated Jazz orchestra of its day, and the organization's educational and outreach programs have become role models for other arts organizations.
Mr. Baeza founded, Hillside Broadcasting Corp., which acquired a controlling interest in WWAY-TV (Wilmington, N.C.) and KSLA-TV
(Shrevesport, La.), both ABC
television station affiliates, and significant interests in WKRS
(FM) and WOR
(AM) radio stations in New York City. All properties were eventually sold at substantial premiums to their acquisition cost.
In 2000, Mr. Baeza formed AJM Records, an independent record label that signed and successfully launched the career of Ashanti in a joint venture with Def Jam/Murder Inc
. Records. Ashanti's first album sold over 5 million records, received numerous Grammy nominations and a Grammy for best female R&B vocal performance, five American Music Awards
and 3 Billboard Awards. She also was entered into the Guinness Book of Records for being the first female to have five songs in the top ten pop charts at the same time, a feat equaled only by the Beatles. In 2004, AJM Records and Baeza Music Publishing were awarded two ASCAP awards for singles released on Ashanti's second album. In 2007 AJM Records released the soundtrack to a feature film entitled, “Downtown–A Street Tale”, featuring performances by Irene Cara
and Petula Clark
.
In 2003, Mr. Baeza was appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
to serve as Chair of the New York City Latin Media and Entertainment Commission. The Commission has as its objective to make New York City once again the Latin media and entertainment capital of the world. The Commission includes prominent Latino and media industry leaders in New York and already has a record of notable successes.
In 2004, Mr. Baeza was a U.S. Congressional appointee to the Independent Task Force in TV Measurement, which was created to review and analyze Nielsen Media Research
's recruitment and sampling methodologies, with a particular focus on their impact on people of color. The Task Force's groundbreaking report and recommendations were accepted wholesale by Nielsen and changed Nielsen's approach to doing business in African-American, Latino and Asian communities.
In 2005, Mr. Baeza was elected Chairman of the Upper Manhattan Development Zone, a quasi-public entity that is authorized to disburse over $250,000,000 in financings and investments (and in grants to non-profit cultural institutions) all for the purpose of spurring economic development and job growth in Harlem
and the South Bronx, New York.
In 2006, after six years of work, The Baeza Group partnered with WNET/Thirteen, the flagship PBS
affiliate station, to form V-Me Media, Inc., a new national Spanish language television network distributed through the digital channels of public television affiliate stations. The channel officially launched on March 6, 2007 reaching over 28 million homes. V-me is the fastest growing Spanish Language television network in history. It is currently available in 50% of Hispanic households nationwide and in 45 million U.S. homes. After the conversion to the all-digital platform in February 2009, V-me will be available in 80% of Hispanic households and 65 million total U.S. homes. Mr. Baeza serves as V-Me's Founder and Executive Chairman.
Mr. Baeza is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University
(where he was graduated in three years with honors and distinction in all subjects) and a graduate of Harvard Law School
. Mr. Baeza has been a Herman Phleger Visiting Professor of Law at Stanford Law School
and a Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School, where for 2 years he taught a large lecture course entitled, "New Technology and the Law."
Mr. Baeza has been featured as one of “The 100 Most Powerful Latinos” by Poder magazine and one of “The 100 Influentials” by Hispanic Business Magazine.
, and industry journals, as well as the contributor to chapters in several books. Most recently, he has completed a manuscript entitled, “The Latino Educational Crisis: Towards a New Approach to Preparing Latino Children for Success in School and in Life” which will be published in 2008.
Corporate lawyer
A corporate lawyer is a lawyer who specializes in corporations law.As of 2004, there were 67,000 corporate lawyers in the United States, working on average for 50 hours per week, with a mean starting salary of USD64,000, rising to USD93,700 after 5 years and USD139,000 after 10–15 years.The...
, merchant banker, entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, musician/composer and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Biography
Mario Baeza was born in Newark, New JerseyNewark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, but after a brief period moved to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
where he was raised until the age of seven. (His family later emigrated from Cuba; six months before Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
came to power). He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1971 (honors and distinctions in all subjects), and earned a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
in 1974.
He is currently the founder and controlling shareholder of the Baeza Group LLC, the first U.S. Hispanic-owned merchant banking firm; the founder and chairman of V-me Media Inc., a national Spanish language television network distributed through the digital channels of public television affiliate stations; and the founder and chairman of AJM Records, an independent record label.
Career
Baeza is the founder and controlling shareholder of Baeza & Co., which was formed in 1994 in order to create the first U.S. Hispanic-owned merchant banking firm focusing on the Pan-Hispanic region. In 1996, Baeza & Co. entered into a partnership with Trust Company of the West, a global asset manager with approximately $90 billion under management, for the purpose of forming TCW/Latin America Partners ("TCW/LAP"). Led by Baeza & Co., in 1997 TCW/LAP raised $230 million in committed funds and thereby became one of the pioneering Latin America-focused private equity funds. Baeza & Co. provided the entire management team for TCW/LAP and the anchor clients for the funds TCW/LAP managed.Mario L. Baeza served as Chairman and CEO of TCW/LAP from its inception until 2003 and as Chairman until 2006. In 2003, Mr. Baeza formed The Baeza Group, a Hispanic-owned alternative investment firm specializing in the management of private equity investments targeting the U.S. Hispanic domestic emerging market and hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
products centered around global macro strategies.
From 1994 to 1996, Mr. Baeza was President of Wasserstein Perella International Limited and Chairman and CEO of Grupo Wasserstein Perella, a Latin America focused joint venture between Baeza & Co. and Wasserstein Perella
Wasserstein Perella & Co.
Wasserstein Perella & Co. was an investment bank established by Bruce Wasserstein, Joseph R. Perella, Bill Lambert, and one other founder in 1988, former bankers at First Boston Corp., until its eventual sale to Dresdner Bank in 2000 for some $1.4 billion in stock...
.
From 1974 to 1994, Mr. Baeza was an associate and then, at the age of 29, became a partner of the international law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton
Debevoise & Plimpton
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a prominent international law firm based in New York City. Founded in 1931 by Eli Whitney Debevoise and William Stevenson, Debevoise has been a long established leader in corporate litigation and large financial transactions. In recent years, its practice has taken on an...
where he specialized in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and the negotiation and structuring of private equity funds and private equity investments. He also became the leading expert in the country on the use of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as defensive tools in hostile takeovers. Mr. Baeza also founded and was the head of the firm's Latin America Group and, prior to that, its leveraged buyout practice, and its telecommunications and new technology practice. Mr. Baeza was consistently the top or one of the top billing partners of the firm. He was also the first Black or Latino to start as an associate in a major New York law firm and rise through the ranks to full partnership.
Mr. Baeza has had a long and successful career in media. In 1992, Mr. Baeza, together with Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
, Gordon Davis, Albert Murray and Nat Leventhal, co-founded Jazz@Lincoln Center, which became a full constituent of Lincoln Center co-equal with the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, New York Philharmonic
New York Philharmonic
The New York Philharmonic is a symphony orchestra based in New York City in the United States. It is one of the American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five"...
and American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
. In 2004, Jazz@Lincoln Center moved to its new home in the Time-Warner Center after a successful $130 million capital campaign, the largest for Jazz music in history. Led by Wynton Marsalis, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra has become the most celebrated Jazz orchestra of its day, and the organization's educational and outreach programs have become role models for other arts organizations.
Mr. Baeza founded, Hillside Broadcasting Corp., which acquired a controlling interest in WWAY-TV (Wilmington, N.C.) and KSLA-TV
KSLA-TV
KSLA, virtual channel 12, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Shreveport, Louisiana and the Ark-La-Tex region. Owned by Raycom Media, it broadcasts its digital signal on UHF channel 17. The sole transmitter is located in Mooringsport, Louisiana...
(Shrevesport, La.), both ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television station affiliates, and significant interests in WKRS
WKRS
WKRS is a radio station broadcasting a news talk information format. Licensed to Waukegan, Illinois, USA, the station is currently owned by NextMedia Group through its licensee NM Licensing LLC, and features programing from Citadel Media, Dial Global, and Westwood One.WKRS carries many popular...
(FM) and WOR
WOR
WOR or Wor may refer to:* WOR , a radio station licensed to New York, New York, United States* WRKS, a radio station licensed to New York, New York, United States, which used the call sign WOR-FM from 1948 to October 1972...
(AM) radio stations in New York City. All properties were eventually sold at substantial premiums to their acquisition cost.
In 2000, Mr. Baeza formed AJM Records, an independent record label that signed and successfully launched the career of Ashanti in a joint venture with Def Jam/Murder Inc
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
. Records. Ashanti's first album sold over 5 million records, received numerous Grammy nominations and a Grammy for best female R&B vocal performance, five American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
and 3 Billboard Awards. She also was entered into the Guinness Book of Records for being the first female to have five songs in the top ten pop charts at the same time, a feat equaled only by the Beatles. In 2004, AJM Records and Baeza Music Publishing were awarded two ASCAP awards for singles released on Ashanti's second album. In 2007 AJM Records released the soundtrack to a feature film entitled, “Downtown–A Street Tale”, featuring performances by Irene Cara
Irene Cara
Irene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
and Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
.
In 2003, Mr. Baeza was appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
to serve as Chair of the New York City Latin Media and Entertainment Commission. The Commission has as its objective to make New York City once again the Latin media and entertainment capital of the world. The Commission includes prominent Latino and media industry leaders in New York and already has a record of notable successes.
In 2004, Mr. Baeza was a U.S. Congressional appointee to the Independent Task Force in TV Measurement, which was created to review and analyze Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
's recruitment and sampling methodologies, with a particular focus on their impact on people of color. The Task Force's groundbreaking report and recommendations were accepted wholesale by Nielsen and changed Nielsen's approach to doing business in African-American, Latino and Asian communities.
In 2005, Mr. Baeza was elected Chairman of the Upper Manhattan Development Zone, a quasi-public entity that is authorized to disburse over $250,000,000 in financings and investments (and in grants to non-profit cultural institutions) all for the purpose of spurring economic development and job growth in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and the South Bronx, New York.
In 2006, after six years of work, The Baeza Group partnered with WNET/Thirteen, the flagship PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
affiliate station, to form V-Me Media, Inc., a new national Spanish language television network distributed through the digital channels of public television affiliate stations. The channel officially launched on March 6, 2007 reaching over 28 million homes. V-me is the fastest growing Spanish Language television network in history. It is currently available in 50% of Hispanic households nationwide and in 45 million U.S. homes. After the conversion to the all-digital platform in February 2009, V-me will be available in 80% of Hispanic households and 65 million total U.S. homes. Mr. Baeza serves as V-Me's Founder and Executive Chairman.
Mr. Baeza is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
(where he was graduated in three years with honors and distinction in all subjects) and a graduate of Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
. Mr. Baeza has been a Herman Phleger Visiting Professor of Law at Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is a graduate school at Stanford University located in the area known as the Silicon Valley, near Palo Alto, California in the United States. The Law School was established in 1893 when former President Benjamin Harrison joined the faculty as the first professor of law...
and a Lecturer in Law at Harvard Law School, where for 2 years he taught a large lecture course entitled, "New Technology and the Law."
Corporate Board Positions
He is a member of the Board of Directors of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:ADP), where he is a member of the Executive Committee and chairs the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee; he was the lead director of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation (NYSE:OM), until its sale in May 2006, and is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Ariel Mutual Funds Complex, the largest minority-owned asset management firm in the United States. In 2007 he joined the Board of the Israel Discount Bank of New York and in 2008 joined the Board of Brown Shoe Company, Inc. (NYSE:BWS). Mr. Baeza is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. (former member of the Board).Philanthropy
His charitable activities include membership on the boards of directors of The Hispanic Federation, Inc., Catholic Charities, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Cuban Artists Fund and Channel Thirteen/WNET.Mr. Baeza has been featured as one of “The 100 Most Powerful Latinos” by Poder magazine and one of “The 100 Influentials” by Hispanic Business Magazine.
Publications
Mr. Baeza is the author of numerous articles in both scholarly magazines, including the Harvard Law ReviewHarvard Law Review
The Harvard Law Review is a journal of legal scholarship published by an independent student group at Harvard Law School.-Overview:According to the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, the Review is the most cited law review and has the second-highest impact factor in the category "law" after the...
, and industry journals, as well as the contributor to chapters in several books. Most recently, he has completed a manuscript entitled, “The Latino Educational Crisis: Towards a New Approach to Preparing Latino Children for Success in School and in Life” which will be published in 2008.