SPAC Guest Spotlight: James Graf
In this episode of The SPAC Podcast, co-host Mike Blankenship sits down with James Graff, CEO of Graff Global Corp and a veteran SPAC sponsor who’s been active in the space for over 14 years. James shares how he transitioned from a 20-year career in investment banking to leading SPAC transactions—having now participated in eight as a sponsor or director.
He recounts his early exposure to SPACs while working at MGM Studios during its financial restructuring and reflects on what drew him to the structure as a capital markets tool. The conversation offers firsthand insight into the evolution of the SPAC ecosystem, the lessons learned across multiple cycles, and how experienced sponsors think about strategy, execution, and team alignment.
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James Graf
CEO
James Graf is CEO of Graf Global Corp., his eighth SPAC as CEO, CFO and/or active director since 2011. He also serves as Interim CFO of NKGen Biotech, his last SPAC target. Previous closed transactions include Global Eagle, Videocon d2h, Williams Scotsman, Target Hospitality, Velodyne Lidar, Crown LNG and NKGen.Prior to SPAC life, Jim was an investment banker for two decades, including roles as President of Deutsche Bank’s investment bank in Hong Kong and managing director at Merrill Lynch. He later founded enterprise software company Praedea Solutions and served as a financial consultant to MGM Studios.