Churchill Capital Corp IX
MANAGEMENT & BOARD
Executive Officers
Michael Klein, 60
Chief Executive Officer, President & Chairman
Mr. Klein is also the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp II, a blank check company whose sponsor is an affiliate of M. Klein and Company, LLC, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp IV, a blank check company whose sponsor is an affiliate of M. Klein and Company, LLC and Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp V, a blank check company whose sponsor is an affiliate of M. Klein and Company, LLC. Mr. Klein is currently a Director of Credit Suisse Group AG and Credit Suisse AG. Mr. Klein was the co-founder and Chairman of Churchill Capital Corp, a blank check company formed in 2018. Churchill Capital Corp merged with Clarivate Analytics in May 2019. Mr. Klein was also the founder, Chief Executive Officer, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Churchill Capital Corp III, a blank check company formed in 2019. Churchill Capital Corp III merged with MultiPlan, Inc. in October 2020, and Mr. Klein currently serves on the board of directors of MultiPlan, Inc. Mr. Klein is the founder and managing partner of M. Klein and Company, which he founded in 2012. M. Klein and Company is a global strategic advisory firm that provides its clients a variety of advice tailored to their objectives. Mr. Klein is a strategic advisor to global companies, boards of directors, senior executives, governments and institutional investors. Mr. Klein’s background in strategic advisory work was built during his 30-year career, including more than two decades at Citi and its predecessors, during which he initiated and executed strategic advisory transactions. He began his career as an investment banker in the M&A Advisory Group at Salomon Smith Barney and subsequently became Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Citi Markets and Banking, with responsibilities for global corporate and investment banking and Global Transaction Services across Citi. Mr. Klein is a graduate of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his Bachelors of Science in Economics with concentrations in finance and accounting.
Jay Taragin, 57
Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Taragin is also the Chief Financial Officer of Churchill Capital Corp IV since April 2020, Churchill Capital Corp V since May 2020 and Chief Financial Officer of M. Klein and Company which he joined in May 2019. Prior to joining M. Klein and Company, Mr. Taragin served as the US Scotiabank Chief Financial Officer from 2013 to 2017. Prior to Scotiabank, Mr. Taragin held a Chief Operating and Financial Officer role from 2009 to 2012 at Fundcore Finance Group LLC and held a variety of senior finance and audit roles at Merrill Lynch & Company from 1993 to 2009. In addition, Mr. Taragin worked at Credit Suisse and PricewaterhouseCoopers as a senior auditor and accountant. Mr. Taragin is a CPA and holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University Stern School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University.
Board of Directors
Stephen Murphy, 59
Director
Since 2023, Mr. Murphy has served as the Co-Founding Partner of Merivel Capital Partners LLP, a boutique private placement group authorized by the UK FCA. Mr. Murphy has also served as the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Authentic Bespoke Limited, a boutique investment group, since 2017, and serves on the boards of all of its wholly-owned subsidiaries. Mr. Murphy has significant past investment banking, principal investing, and direct entrepreneurial experience across a wide range of industries and is actively involved in a number of international businesses at board levels. Mr. Murphy is an angel investor in various technology companies which are pursuing “green” or sustainable solutions. Mr. Murphy serves as a director of various companies related to Qalaa Holdings SAE, which is involved in energy and infrastructure investments in Egypt. Mr. Murphy has also served principally as either a company director or chairman of various luxury goods companies in the UK and Ireland. Mr. Murphy was trained as a financial analyst in New York starting in 1986 and ultimately was made head of Salomon Brothers International’s M&A Group in London. He went on to become a Managing Director of Citigroup International. As a Managing Director of Citigroup International, Mr. Murphy was involved in the evaluation and execution of private and public financings and capital raising. Mr. Murphy received an M.A. from University of Dublin Trinity College. Mr. Murphy was selected to serve on our Board of Directors due to his significant financial and leadership experience.
William Sherman, 60 [Appointed]
Director
He served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Nat Sherman Inc. (“Nat Sherman”), a third-generation, family-owned tobacco company from 1991 to January, 2017. During his time at Nat Sherman, Mr. Sherman played a pivotal role in the growth of the brand, establishing it as a leading luxury product in its category. His responsibilities spanned operations, manufacturing oversight, product development, and international sales management. As a leader in small manufacturing, Mr. Sherman was actively involved in numerous industry boards. He was a vocal advocate on regulatory and legislative issues, ensuring that the industry’s interests were well-represented. In 2017, Mr. Sherman successfully spearheaded the sale of Nat Sherman to Altria Group Inc., marking a significant milestone in Nat Sherman’s history. Following the sale, Mr. Sherman retired but remains actively engaged in various roles. He serves on the Statesmen Athletic Association board of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, his alma mater, and has dedicated himself to an array of investment and philanthropic efforts. Mr. Sherman received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.