George Matelich, MBA ’82, Managing Director of Kelso & Company

George Matelich, MBA ’82 and his wife Susan have made it their mission to assist first-generation college and graduate students. To this end, they have established undergraduate scholarships at the Universities of Puget Sound and Vanderbilt University as well as creating a $1 million fund for fellowships at Stanford GSB.

He has been a Managing Director at Kelso & Company since 1985 and also holds directorships in CVR Energy Inc., Hunt Marcellus LLC and Global Geophysical Services, Inc.

Early Life and Education

Children develop essential skills that will aid them academically throughout life, such as language proficiency, literacy and math proficiency. During these formative years, children can begin to build the foundations necessary for future academic success.

Their experiences and social interactions with teachers, parents, family members, and friends play an integral role in their brain development. Stable relationships, positive emotional experiences, and safe, supportive environments promote healthy brain development.

Early childhood education (ECE) teachers emphasize social and emotional foundations for successful development. Furthermore, they learn how to incorporate current research in brain development and cognition into their classroom instruction.

Professional Career

George Matelich ’82 is the managing director of Kelso and Company, a private equity investment firm. Additionally, he serves as chair of the American Prairie Reserve, trustee emeritus at the University of Puget Sound, and member of Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council.

He and his wife Susan Matelich have dedicated their philanthropy to aiding first-generation college and graduate students. They established undergraduate scholarships at the University of Puget Sound and Vanderbilt University, as well as a $1 million fund for fellowships at Stanford GSB.

His philanthropic interests align perfectly: helping students afford higher education complements his efforts to conserve 3.6 million acres in north-central Montana, an area 50 percent larger than Yellowstone National Park. Furthermore, they serve on the board of directors for American Prairie Reserve, a nonprofit organization with the vision of creating America’s largest grassland public park.

Achievements and Honors

George Matelich, Managing Director of Kelso & Company, is an accomplished corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions professional. He joined Kelso in 1985 after spending two years working in Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb’s Mergers & Acquisitions Department.

He is an emeritus trustee at the University of Puget Sound and past member of both the Stanford Graduate School Business Advisory Council and American Prairie Reserve – a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting 3.6 million acres in north-central Montana.

He and his wife Susan are passionate about aiding first-generation college and graduate students. To this end, they established undergraduate scholarships at the Universities of Puget Sound and Vanderbilt University as well as a $1 million fund for fellowships at Stanford GSB. As proud alumni, they are proud to contribute their support towards higher education’s future.

Personal Life

At the tender age of 12, George Matelich’s mother encouraged him to strive for more academic success. This push eventually led him to Stanford Graduate School of Business and, eventually, senior advisor at Kelso & Co.

Today, Matelich is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who has built his career by aiding others access higher education. Along with his wife Susan – the first in her family to graduate from four-year college – they are making supporting first-generation students the cornerstone of their philanthropy.

The Mateliches have created a $1 million fund for fellowships at Stanford GSB to assist aspiring scholars. Furthermore, they are working to protect 3.6 million acres in north-central Montana (an area 50 percent larger than Yellowstone National Park) by joining forces with American Prairie Reserve as board members.

Net Worth

George Matelich, MBA ’82, is a managing director at Kelso & Company and also serves as trustee for the University of Puget Sound. Additionally, he sits on the boards of directors for CVR Energy, Waste Services Inc. and Global Geophysical Services, Inc. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with distinction from UW-Puget Sound and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

He and his wife Susan, MBA ’82, have made it a priority to support first-generation college and graduate students through their philanthropic endeavors. They established scholarships at the University of Puget Sound and Vanderbilt University as well as a $1 million fund for fellowships at Stanford GSB. Furthermore, they are involved with American Prairie Reserve; an environmental organization working to preserve 3.6 million acres in north-central Montana – an area 50 percent larger than Yellowstone National Park!