Vincent Mai was the Founding Chair of ICTJ and a distinguished member of the Board of Directors until 2021. Throughout the years he has been a generous benefactor, exemplifying unwavering dedication and philanthropic spirit. To this day, Mai's exemplary service and steadfast commitment have propelled the mission of ICTJ forward, leaving an indelible mark and profound impact on the organization and on the landscape of transitional justice worldwide. Now a member of the Honorary Council, Vincent Mai is a leading philanthropic voice dedicated to justice, peace, and the rule of law.
Mai is the founder, chairman, and CEO of The Cranemere Group, Limited. Cranemere was created in 2012 to provide a global community of selected families and other shareholders with a safe and attractive investment in a privately owned holding company that owns a diversified group of high-quality businesses for the long term.
Prior to Cranemere, Mai was at AEA Investors from 1989 to the end of 2011. He joined AEA as CEO and became chairman in 1998. During his tenure, Preqin ranked AEA in the top 10 global private equity firms for consistent superior returns. He has served on the boards of many of AEA’s portfolio companies.
Before joining AEA, Mai was a partner at Lehman Brothers, where he was cohead of investment banking. He started his career at S.G. Warburg & Co. in London, where he would serve as executive director. During that period, he worked closely with Sir Siegmund Warburg, one of AEA’s cofounders.
Vincent Mai is involved in several nonprofit organizations. For 13 years, he served as chairman of the board of Sesame Workshop, producers of Sesame Street—a leading children’s education television program featured in more than one hundred countries. Vincent is the chairman of the board of the Juilliard School. He was the director and is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. For 10 years during the 1990s, he was the director of The Carnegie Corporation of New York, where he served as chairman of the Investment Committee. He has undertaken extensive philanthropic activities in the United States and in South Africa. Mai is a chartered accountant. He grew up in South Africa and was educated at the University of Cape Town.
