Robert S. Graham (born January 9, 1972) is an American entrepreneur, business owner, author, and the former Chairman of the

Arizona Republican Party The Arizona Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Arizona. Its headquarters are in Phoenix. The party currently controls four of Arizona's nine U.S. House seats, both houses of the state legislature, and the governorship ...

(AZ GOP), serving from 2013 to 2017.

Early life and education

Graham was born in

Fort Walton Beach Fort Walton Beach is a city in southern Okaloosa County, Florida. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,922, up from 19,507 in 2010. It is the principal city of the Fort Walton Beach− Crestview− Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in 1972. His father was an Air Force Major, and the Graham family moved to the

Kincheloe Air Force Base Kincheloe Air Force Base was a United States Air Force (USAF) base during the Cold War. Built in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1943 during World War II, the base was in service The base was known by various names, including Kinross Munic ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

where they lived until the end of the Cold War. Graham attended high school in East Lansing Michigan. He then transferred to Arizona State University, where he received a Bachelor of Sciences in Global Business Management and Finance and graduated cum laude. For his entrepreneurial success and service to ASU, Graham was awarded "Distinguished Alumnus" from the School of Global Management and Leadership. He graduated from Thunderbird School of Global Management 2013 and received a Masters of Business Administration in Global Management.

Career

In 1997, Graham started working as the Director of Marketing for Gold and Associates. He then worked as the Vice President of Business Development for CUE Financial until 2001, where he increased the company's national market share. From 2001 until 2004, he worked as a Private Wealth Advisor for Merrill Lynch. In 2004, he left Merrill Lynch and founded RG Capital, LLC and iNation, LLC. iNation is a Scottsdale-based data and digital technology company (SaaS), with a customer relationship management (CRM) tool designed for businesses and professionals worldwide, and Graham served as the Founder and Chairman until he sold the business in 2008 to a private equity firm. Graham was elected Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party in January 2013, when he received 70% of the vote. His primary duty as Chairman is to maintain and grow the Republican Party in Arizona. He has been recognized nationally for the successful 2014 Midterm Elections in Arizona, on account of Republicans winning every statewide office. The Graham Family

In January 2015, Graham was re-elected as the Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, receiving 82% of the vote, a 12% increase from his previous election. Graham is known in the Arizona Republican Party for his outreach to minority communities, and in 2015, Governor

Doug Ducey Douglas Anthony Ducey (, né Roscoe Jr.; born April 9, 1964) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 23rd governor of Arizona since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Ducey was previously the CEO of Cold Stone Creamery, a c ...

and the State of Arizona appointed him to the Arizona Commission of African-American Affairs. Beginning in 2013, Graham has worked with Asian, African American, Latino, and Tribal coalitions.

Publications

In 2010, Graham published his first book ''Job Killers: The American Dream in Reverse.'' The book explains how labor unions can ruin jobs and shrink the economy.

Personal life

Graham has been married to his wife Julia since 1997. They have six children together.

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Robert 1972 births 21st-century American businesspeople Latter Day Saints from Florida Latter Day Saints from Michigan Latter Day Saints from Arizona Arizona Republican Party chairs Arizona State University alumni Businesspeople from Arizona Living people Merrill (company) people People from Fort Walton Beach, Florida 2016 United States presidential electors Arizona Republicans