Tony James Talks Finding Transformative Signals with Consello's Declan Kelly

NEW YORK, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest episode of Grey Matter, Consello Founder, Chairman and CEO, Declan Kelly sits with Tony James to examine the inflection points that defined his over four-decade career and the judgment that led him to act ahead of the market.

After declining offers from Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley out of school, James helped build DLJ into one of the most influential platforms by creating a leveraged buyout and private capital platform that shaped the industry over the next four decades. He then joined Blackstone and constructed an entirely new set of investment businesses, helping transform the private equity firm into the world's largest alternative asset manager.

Alongside his investment career, James has served as a board director of Costco since 1988 and was appointed Chairman in 2017.

James' conversation with Kelly centers on his ability to identify trends ahead of the curve, or to recognize what needs to change before the need becomes obvious. Nearly all of his decisions appeared unconventional at the time yet proved consequential in hindsight. The two speak about what those moments reveal about judgment, patience, and the discipline required to act decisively at scale.

Watch the full episode here.

About Consello

Consello is an Advisory and Investing Platform with offices in New York, Miami, Atlanta, Dublin, Belfast, London, and Abu Dhabi.

Consello's distinct advisory practices provide the complete strategic counsel today's leaders need to grow and transform their organizations. Consello's advisory expertise spans Corporate Advisory; M&A; Management Consulting; Talent; and Sports and Entertainment. Dedicated teams operate in each practice, led by a leadership group with deep operational experience across industries, business growth stages and market cycles and with an expansive set of global corporate relationships.

Consello's investment business, Consello Capital, identifies high-potential mid-market companies and invests capital and expertise to transform their growth.

Consello Media Inquiries

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SOURCE Consello