▁and ▁CE O ▁Cow en ▁Inc ., ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Cow en ▁& ▁Company . ▁Prior ▁to ▁his ▁current ▁role , ▁C ohen ▁founded ▁Ram ius ▁Capital ▁Management ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁a ▁$ 1 3 ▁billion ▁invest ment ▁firm , ▁which ▁he ▁merged ▁with ▁Cow en ▁Inc ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁Prior ▁to ▁this , ▁C ohen ▁was ▁the ▁chairman ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁of ▁She ar son ▁Le h man ▁American ▁Express ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁through ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁C ohen ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁on ▁Long ▁Island , ▁New ▁York . ▁He ▁is ▁of ▁Jewish ▁descent . ▁C ohen ▁graduated ▁from ▁Ohio ▁State ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁and ▁received ▁his ▁M BA ▁from ▁Columbia ▁Business ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁Career ▁C ohen ▁began ▁his ▁career ▁on ▁Wall ▁Street ▁at ▁Reyn olds ▁& ▁Co ., ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁Dean ▁W itter ▁Reyn olds ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁joined ▁C B W L - H ay den ▁Stone . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁C ohen ▁would ▁take ▁a ▁position ▁as ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁firm ' s ▁chairman , ▁San ford ▁I . ▁We ill , ▁the ▁architect ▁of ▁a ▁major ▁cons olid ation ▁of ▁bro ker age ▁and ▁invest ment ▁bank ing ▁fir ms ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s