Michael L Klowden

Michael Klowden is President and CEO of the Milken Institute. During his tenure, the Institute has increased its global outreach, working on projects as diverse as China's financial system to an economic road map to peace in the Middle East. He has overseen the expansion of the Institute's research into such areas as the life-sciences industry and global risk; the creation of its newest initiative, FasterCures / The Center for Accelerating Medical Solutions; and the transition of the Institute from a private foundation to a publicly supported charitable organization. Klowden joined the Institute in 2001 from Jefferies Group Inc., a global investment bank and institutional securities firm. At Jefferies, he served as vice chairman, president and chief operating officer, and had direct responsibility for all of the firm's production units, including investment banking; asset management; research; and equity, convertible, high-yield and international securities trading. During his tenure, revenues rose 240 percent, net earnings 550 percent and share price 650 percent. Prior to joining Jefferies, Klowden was a senior partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, an international law firm he helped expand to more than 1,000 attorneys. He served as one of the four members of that firm's Management Committee, was managing partner of the Los Angeles office and national vice chairman of the firm's Business and Finance practice. In addition to his management responsibilities, Klowden developed a large legal practice that emphasized financial institutions, securities, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and corporate counseling. Before joining Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Klowden was a partner at the law firm of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, where he practiced business law for a primarily entertainment-industry client base. Klowden has been involved in at least 100 business combinations of various sizes and types, and in scores of public and private securities offerings. He has served on several corporate boards and is a trustee of the University of Chicago. Klowden received a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a JD from Harvard Law School.