Jonathan Lavine

Jonathan Lavine
Born	Jonathan Scott Lavine 9 5, 1966
Birthplace	Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Senior advisory partner at Bain Capital
Known for	Founding Bain Capital Credit; co-managing partner of Bain Capital (2016–2024); co-chair of the Board of Trustees of Columbia University (2018–2022)
Education	Columbia University (BA) Harvard University (MBA)
Spouse(s)	Jeannie Diane Bachelor (m. 1992)
Children	2

Jonathan Scott Lavine (born May 9, 1966) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist who spent more than three decades at Bain Capital, one of the world's largest alternative asset management firms. He founded the firm's credit and special situations platform in 1998, built it into a major division, and served as co-managing partner of Bain Capital from 2016 to 2024, overseeing the firm's credit and public equity businesses. Beyond finance, Lavine has been a prominent figure in higher education governance, serving as co-chair and later chair emeritus of the Columbia University Board of Trustees, and has directed significant philanthropic resources toward cancer research, education, criminal justice reform, and community development. A graduate of Columbia College and Harvard Business School, Lavine has combined his career in investment management with sustained institutional and civic engagement across several sectors.

Early Life

Jonathan Scott Lavine was born on May 9, 1966, in Providence, Rhode Island. Details about his upbringing and family background in Providence remain limited in publicly available sources, though his later philanthropic involvement with organizations focused on Jewish studies — including the establishment of the Lavine Family Director of the Brandeis Center for Jewish Studies — suggests an engagement with Jewish heritage and identity.

Lavine grew up in the northeastern United States and would go on to pursue his undergraduate education in New York City at Columbia University, maintaining a lifelong relationship with the institution that would eventually see him rise to the highest levels of its governance structure.

Education

Lavine attended Columbia University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. His time at Columbia marked the beginning of a deep and enduring connection to the university. It was during his years as an undergraduate that he formed relationships with peers who would become long-term collaborators, including Lisa Carnoy, with whom he would later co-lead Columbia's presidential search process decades later.

Following his undergraduate studies, Lavine enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he earned his Master of Business Administration degree in 1992. While at Harvard, he met Jeannie Diane Bachelor, who was also a Harvard graduate (AB '88, MBA '92); the two married in June 1992. Lavine would later give back to both institutions through major philanthropic gifts, including the establishment of the Lavine Learning Lab at Harvard to foster connection among alumni and students.

Career

Early Career and Founding of Bain Capital Credit

After completing his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1992, Lavine joined Bain Capital, the Boston-based private investment firm. Over the following years, he developed expertise in credit markets and distressed investing. In 1998, he founded the firm's credit and special situations platform, initially known as Sankaty Advisors.

Under Lavine's leadership, the credit platform grew into one of the significant divisions within Bain Capital's broader portfolio of investment strategies. In 2016, the firm rebranded its credit affiliate and public equity unit under a unified Bain Capital identity, consolidating the formerly separate Sankaty Advisors brand into what became known as Bain Capital Credit. This reorganization reflected both the growth of the credit business and Bain Capital's strategic decision to present a more cohesive brand across its various investment platforms.

Co-Managing Partner of Bain Capital

In 2016, Lavine was named co-managing partner of Bain Capital, a role in which he oversaw the firm's credit and public equity divisions. In this capacity, he shared leadership responsibilities at one of the world's largest and most diversified alternative investment firms. His tenure as co-managing partner extended from 2016 to 2024, a period during which Bain Capital continued to expand its global footprint and diversify its investment strategies.

In January 2026, Bain Capital announced a leadership transition, naming David Gross as sole managing partner of the firm as part of a full succession of its leadership team. Following this transition, Lavine assumed the role of senior advisory partner at Bain Capital, maintaining an affiliation with the firm he had helped build for more than three decades.

Sports Investment

Beyond his core role at Bain Capital, Lavine has been involved in professional sports ownership. He was part of the ownership group of the Boston Celtics, where the owners' backgrounds in finance were noted as influencing the team's management approach.

Columbia University Board of Trustees

Lavine's involvement with Columbia University extended far beyond his years as an undergraduate. He became a member of the university's Board of Trustees and rose to serve as co-chair of the board from 2018 to 2022. In 2022, he assumed the role of chair, and in 2023, he was named chair emeritus.

Presidential Search

In 2022, Lavine and Lisa Carnoy, described as lifelong friends and colleagues who had known each other for approximately three decades since their time as Columbia students, took the lead in the university's presidential search process. Columbia University noted the deep institutional knowledge and personal connection that both brought to the endeavor.

Governance and Campus Issues

Lavine's period of involvement with Columbia's governance coincided with a turbulent era in American higher education. In 2025, The New York Times reported on debates within Columbia about whether the university could restructure its governance processes, including a review of the faculty-led university senate that could redefine control over student protest policies. The review was ordered by administrators and trustees during a period of heightened campus unrest. While Lavine had transitioned to the chair emeritus role by this period, his extended tenure in Columbia's leadership meant he was closely associated with the university's governance during a consequential chapter in its history.

Philanthropy

Jonathan and Jeannie Lavine have directed significant philanthropic resources across several sectors, including healthcare, education, criminal justice reform, and community development. Their giving has been channeled both through direct gifts and through support for specific organizational initiatives.

Healthcare

The Lavines have been prominent supporters of medical research and patient care institutions in the Boston area. Jonathan Lavine served on the board of trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

In February 2026, Dana-Farber announced what it described as its largest single gift, a joint donation from Jonathan and Jeannie Lavine along with Josh and Anita Bekenstein, to advance a planned cancer hospital for New England. The gift was reported as accelerating a "bold, patient-first model of cancer" care. The Boston Globe reported on the gift in the context of an intensifying competition over the future of cancer care in Boston between Dana-Farber and Mass General Brigham.

The Lavines have also been supporters of Boston Children's Hospital.

Education

The Lavines' educational philanthropy has spanned multiple institutions. In January 2026, Columbia University Athletics announced a $10 million gift from Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine to men's and women's basketball, described as a historic contribution to the program.

At Harvard, a gift from the Lavines established the Lavine Learning Lab, designed to foster connection and deeper engagement among the university's community. In 2017, The Harvard Crimson reported on an expansion of financial aid at Harvard Business School, a development with which the Lavines' support was associated.

In October 2025, Brandeis University announced the appointment of Dr. Flora Cassen as the inaugural Lavine Family Director of the Brandeis Center for Jewish Studies, a position established through the family's support.

Criminal Justice Reform

In 2016, the Boston Globe reported that Lavine had made a multimillion-dollar gift to an anti-incarceration nonprofit, reflecting his engagement with criminal justice reform issues.

Community Development and Service

Lavine has been involved with several organizations focused on community service and economic opportunity. He served on the board of City Year, the national service organization, which listed him as a supporter in its fiscal year 2011 annual report. City Year launched a ten-year strategy to build what it called the nation's urban graduation pipeline, an effort with which Lavine's involvement was associated.

He was also involved with Opportunity Nation, a coalition focused on expanding economic opportunity in the United States.

In 2017, the nonprofit organization LIFT announced the launch of the Lavine Family Innovation Fund, established through the Lavines' support to advance LIFT's mission of working with families to break the cycle of poverty.

The Lavines have also supported Be The Change Inc., appearing on the organization's Leadership Circle.

Disaster Response and Public Safety

In 2012, the Harvard Gazette reported on a training initiative for rescuers that was connected to the Lavines' support, reflecting their interest in public safety and disaster response preparedness.

Personal Life

Jonathan Lavine married Jeannie Diane Bachelor on June 20, 1992. Jeannie Bachelor Lavine is also a graduate of Harvard (AB '88, MBA '92). The couple has two children.

The Lavines are based in the Boston area, consistent with Jonathan's long career at Bain Capital, which is headquartered in Boston. Jeannie Lavine has been an active partner in the family's philanthropic work, with gifts frequently made jointly under both their names, including the major donations to Columbia University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University, and other institutions.

Recognition

Lavine has received recognition for both his professional achievements and his civic engagement. He received an award from the Anti-Defamation League's New England region, reflecting acknowledgment of his community leadership.

He was featured as a keynote speaker at the 2011 World Research & Development Innovation Congress, indicating recognition within the broader business and innovation community.

His leadership at Bain Capital — spanning the founding of its credit platform, its growth into a major investment business, and his subsequent elevation to co-managing partner — positioned him as a significant figure in the alternative investment industry. The Financial Times coverage of Bain Capital's 2026 leadership succession described the firm's transition as a full succession of its leadership team, underscoring the importance of the roles Lavine and his co-managing partner had held.

Within higher education governance, Lavine's tenure as co-chair and chair of the Columbia University Board of Trustees placed him at the center of one of the country's leading research universities during a period of significant institutional challenges and transitions.