Bio

S. Craig Cognetti focuses on M&A execution and principal investing for Grail Partners LLC. Prior to joining Grail in 2006 Craig was with Chelsey Capital, a New York City-based alternative investment firm. Before Chelsey, Craig was with Mellon Ventures, the $1.4 billion private equity division of Mellon Financial. Craig focused on buyouts and financial and business services investments, including credit cards, trading platforms, post-trade & technology and portfolio management tools. Craig completed several investments and was actively involved on the boards of several portfolio companies. Before joining the private equity group, Craig was in Mellon Financial’s Corporate Strategy and Development group, where he worked closely with Mellon’s executive management on M&A transactions. Craig co-led an initiative to increase Mellon’s presence in separate accounts and managed an initiative to build an alternative asset management platform. Earlier in his career, Craig was on the senior management team of TRL, a leading transportation services provider. Craig reported directly to the firm’s CEO and managed the firm’s largest division to record revenue and profitability. Craig earned his BS in Business Administration from Georgetown University and his MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he completed an International Finance and Management program at Oxford University.