Mark Bolognesi Florian (AB ’80), Managing Director, First Reserve Corporation, Greenwich, CT

Mark Bolognesi FlorianFlorian is the head of First Reserve Corporation's infrastructure investment platform, joining the firm in October 2008.  First Reserve is a private equity group, which, over the last 25 years and through twelve funds, has specialized in energy investing. He was previously a partner at Goldman Sachs, with a career that spanned 23 years there. Most recently at Goldman, he was COO of its public sector and infrastructure group, led the infrastructure investment banking business for the Americas, and was a member of the investment committee for Goldman Sachs' $6.5 billion infrastructure investment fund.

Over his career, he has worked in the public sector finance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and investment banking services areas. He has worked on many innovative transactions, including the first major privatization in the US, as Chicago's advisor for its $1.8 billion sale of the Chicago Skyway. He advised Indiana on the sale of the Indiana Toll Road for $3.8 billion in 2006, and more recently was involved in Goldman Sachs' acquisition of a $4 billion package of Mexican Toll Roads and the acquisition of a major stake in Carrix, the largest port operator in North America. Florian has advised clients in merger transactions totaling over $30 billion. He has led over $35 billion in financing and derivative transactions for clients, including a $10 billion pension financing for Illinois and various financings for airports, roads, stadia, convention centers, and hospital systems over his career.

Florian graduated magna cum laude from Duke, majoring in computer science and economics. He also earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. He and his wife, Lynne, have three children, Claire ('09), Robert, and Max.

Class on the Sanford Building Lawn
Class on the Sanford Building Lawn