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100 Most Influential People in Finance
The executives, regulators, officials and bankers who have led business and the global economy to a better place.
The world is preoccupied with sustaining the economic recovery, preventing countries from defaulting in Europe and proceeding with post-financial-crisis regulation in the United States. Those themes are evident in Treasury & Riskʼs 100 Most Influential People in Finance roster for 2011, which includes government officials wrestling over how to regulate derivatives, policymakers worldwide dealing with slow growth and inflationary pressures, and CEOs driving the revival of M&A activity. On the list are many finance executives who came up with creative responses to the challenges of the last few years, including the volcanic ash cloud in Iceland, triple disasters in Japan and political unrest in the Middle East. The executives, officials, regulators and bankers named the 100 Most Influential People in Finance have led business and the global economy to a better place, but much work still needs to be done.
CFOs
MICHAEL ANGELAKIS, CFO, COMCAST
As Comcast pushes into content with its NBC Universal merger, Angelakis gets credit for his diplomacy in negotiations with GE as well as for crafting the dealʼs financial structure, which involves a joint venture.
RICHARD CARBONE, EVP AND CFO, PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
Back in 2007, Carbone spotted cracks forming and began adding liquidity to Prudentialʼs balance sheet, making it one of the few financial institutions to weather the crisis without a bailout or regulatory relief.
KEVIN CLARK, CFO, DELPHI
Clark, who took the finance helm at Delphi in mid-2010, has added a new urgency to the auto supplierʼs comeback from bankruptcy, helping drive to new levels of performance as Delphi heads toward an IPO.
NICK DUNN, CFO, U.K.ʼS GATWICK AIRPORT
Dunn joined Gatwick in April 2010, as a volcanic ash cloud grounded flights across Europe. With the company looking to invest $1.6 billion in renovations by 2013, Dunn has plenty more challenges ahead.
GLENN EISENBERG, EVP, FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION, TIMKEN
Credit Eisenberg with playing a key role in turning this once sleepy conglomerate into a player in hot markets like aerospace and wind energy and transforming the finance department.
MICHAEL GELTZEILER, CFO AND GROUP EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, NYSE EURONEXT
Geltzeiler is a leader in the exchangeʼs proposed merger with Deutsche Börse. As its CFO since 2008, he has steered NYSE Euronext through significant evolution and growth. GREGORY
HAYES, CFO, UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
Hayes has built a strong finance team and developed well-rounded staffers in part by
rotating them to different positions. He also speaks out on public policy issues such as corporate tax reform.
DAVID HERZOG, CFO, AIG
Herzog helped restructure and recapitalize the insurance giant, which involved more than $57 billion in divestitures, led AIG back into the capital markets, arranging more than $4 billion of unsecured bank credit and $2 billion of debt, and is reorganizing the global finance function.
JEAN-MARC HUËT, CFO, UNILEVER
Since joining Unilever in February 2010, experienced leader Huët has been busy overseeing the acquisition of Alberto Culver, cost savings of $1.9 billion, and a 10% increase in sales in emerging markets.
HUGH JOHNSTON, CFO, PEPSICO
Under Johnstonʼs financial leadership, PepsiCo delivered strong results last year despite the economic slowdown, while at the same time acquiring its two anchor bottling companies and Wimm-Bill-Dann, the Russian food and beverage company.
MARK LOUGHRIDGE, SVP AND CFO, FINANCE AND ENTERPRISE TRANSFORMATION, IBM
Loughridge, who presided over a huge number of acquisitions as IBM bulked up its business analytics, has a reputation as a skilled leader and developer of people.
KRISTI MATUS, CFO, USAA
At USAA, which provides financial services to members of the U.S. military, Matus ensured that the company maintained the highest possible ratings, established a risk governance framework and advanced data analytics that help facilitate the financial security of USAAʼs 8 million members.
ANN MARIE PETACH, CFO, BLACKROCK
Amid the financial crisis, Petach succeeded in keeping the investment management companyʼs revenues stable and its credit position solid, which allowed it to acquire Barclaysʼ BGI unit. She also played a leading role in the companyʼs 50% public offering.
ED RAPP, GROUP PRESIDENT AND CFO, CATERPILLAR
The work that Rapp and his team did to steer Caterpillar through the recession paved the way for the string of acquisitions announced last year that will give it a boost in such key industries as sustainable power products and mining equipment.
HANS PETER RING, CFO, EADS
Despite the challenges facing the aerospace industry in recent years, Ring contributed to the recovery of the companyʼs performance in 2010 and maintained and strengthened its net cash position, financial profile and rating.
KEITH SHERIN, CFO AND VICE CHAIRMAN, GENERAL ELECTRIC
Since 2008, Sherin has reduced the giant conglomerateʼs reliance on its finance unit, GE Capital. More recently, he oversaw a series of acquisitions that strengthened GEʼs energy and industrial businesses and expanded its global reach.
JONATHAN SYMONDS, CFO, NOVARTIS
Before joining Novartis in 2009, industry heavyweight Symonds was a managing director at Goldman Sachs in the United Kingdom and CFO of AstraZeneca for eight years. He played a significant role in completing Novartisʼ recent takeover of U.S.- based eye-care company Alcon.
GARY WOJTASZEK, CFO AND PRESIDENT OF DATA CENTER OPERATIONS, CINCINNATI BELL
Wojtaszek played a key role in Cincinnati Bellʼs strategic decision to build up its data center business and its $526 million purchase of CyrusOne, a data center co-location provider. He also refinanced the companyʼs debt and extended maturities, making room to invest in that business.
JOHN WOODS, VICE CHAIRMAN AND CFO, UNIONBANCAL CORP. AND UNION
BANK
Woods launched a balance sheet restructuring that resulted in net interest margin improvements and bolstered the bankʼs liquidity position. He also led the successful acquisition and integration of Tamalpais Bank and Frontier Bank.
FINANCE PROS
ERIC BALL, TREASURER AND VP, ORACLE
Oracle has made a steady stream of acquisitions in recent years, including buying Sun Microsystems for $7.4 billion in 2010, and Ball runs the group that integrates new acquisitions. He raised more than $20 billion in debt offerings since 2006.
ROGER BISCAY, TREASURER AND VP, CISCO SYSTEMS
Biscay maximized his teamʼs effectiveness by leveraging treasuryʼs use of technology. And in the wake of the credit crunch, he implemented a comprehensive approach to credit risk management that includes not only receivables but also loans, leases and investments.
MIKE COOK, ASSISTANT TREASURER AND VP, WAL-MART STORES
Cook has worked steadily on payments issues, focusing in particular on lowering the interchange fees retailers are charged for debit card swipes.
DAMIAN GLENDINNING, TREASURER AND VP, LENOVO
Upon joining Lenovo, Glendinning had only five months to set up a full-fledged treasury covering 66 countries. His work has stood the test of time, and with some pioneering receivables-based financing, enabled the company to survive the crisis while building an investment-grade balance sheet.
RONNI HORRILLO, ASSISTANT TREASURER, GOOGLE
Horillo led Google, which earns more than half its non-U.S. revenue from Europe, in its effort to use SEPA credit transfers to standardize its euro wires, thus slashing banking fees by 98%.
MUSTAFA KILIC, REGIONAL TREASURY AND GROUP INSURANCE MANAGER, INDESIT
Kilic has substantially improved the Italian appliance manufacturerʼs cash flow and working capital with innovative multi-layered hybrid cash pooling, direct buyer and supplier finance solutions.
RICK MARTIN, GROUP DIRECTOR, TREASURY AND INVESTOR RELATIONS, VIRGIN MEDIA
After leading a major refinancing operation from 2007-2010, Martin is focused on fulfilling an ambitious $1.1 billion capital return program even as the company looks to de-lever.
CHRISTINE MCCARTHY, EVP OF CORPORATE FINANCE AND REAL ESTATE AND TREASURER, WALT DISNEY
McCarthy managed the development of the capital structure for Shanghai Disneyland, modified the capital structure for Hong Kong Disneyland and negotiated financing for its expansion.
LAUREL MEISSNER, GLOBAL CONTROLLER and svp, AON
Since joining Aon in 2009, Meissner transformed the controller function from country- specific operations to a centralized global function with standardized systems. She was also involved in integrating Aonʼs acquisitions of Benfield Group and Hewitt Associates.
ELAINE PAIK, CORPORATE TREASURER AND VP, COLGATE-PALMOLIVE
As the consumer product companyʼs treasurer since 2009, Paik has positioned treasury as a change agent and challenged others to think long-term.
JARED POFF, TREASURER AND VP, BIG LOTS
Poff implemented a supply chain finance program that lets Big Lotsʼ suppliers obtain financing based on invoices the close-out retailer has approved. Poff also launched a corporate-wide payroll card and manages the stock repurchase programs.
ANITA PRASAD, GENERAL MANAGER OF TREASURY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, MICROSOFT
Prasad, whose responsibilities range from corporate finance and capital structure to global liquidity, drives Microsoft treasuryʼs continuous embrace of technology to deal with business challenges.
DAVID SHAW, TREASURER AND SVP, THOMSON REUTERS
Under Shawʼs leadership, the treasury team built a model to measure the risk entailed in the merged giantʼs diverse foreign exchange exposures and put in place a new FX hedging program. Thomson Reuters also shifted more pension assets into fixed income, which worked well when equities tanked.
PETER VAN ROOD, CORPORATE DIRECTOR OF TREASURY, AKZONOBEL
Not content with his achievements of recent years—including restructuring the companyʼs treasury function and replacing systems—van Rood is turning his attention to optimizing corporate finance, putting in place regional cash management solutions and a global implementation of SWIFTNet.
JEAN-MARC WÄLTI, GROUP TREASURER, NESTLÉ
Wälti was involved in the funding for such Nestlé acquisitions as Gerber and Kraft Foodsʼ frozen pizza business. He keeps the Swiss food giantʼs treasury on the cutting edge with projects such as the implementation of global SWIFTNet FileAct for mass payment delivery.
JÖRG WIEMER, SVP AND HEAD OF GLOBAL TREASURY, SAP
Multi-tasker Wiemer arranged $3.9 billion in acquisition financing, a U.S. private placement and a debut bond transaction while completing an ambitious working capital optimization project.
RISK MANAGERS
CAROL FOX, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC AND ENTERPRISE RISK PRACTICE, RISK AND INSURANCE MANAGEMENT SOCIETY
Fox is the leading force behind RIMSʼ new strategic risk management effort, focusing on practices that can create as well as protect enterprise value. She spearheads RIMSʼ emphasis on applied risk practices and is organizing a fall ERM conference.
KIKO HARVEY, VP OF CORPORATE AUDIT AND ENTERPRISE RISK MANAGEMENT, DELTA AIR LINES
Harveyʼs finance and accounting expertise are at the service not only of Delta but also the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, where she is a member of the Standing Advisory Group.
RICHARD LAURIA, SENIOR ACTUARY AND VP, ASSURANT
As head of the actuarial and risk management group at the specialty insurer, Lauria made significant contributions to the development of its enterprise risk management practice.
BRUCE THOMPSON, CHIEF RISK OFFICER, BANK OF AMERICA
Thompson, the bankʼs chief risk officer since January 2010, engineered a significant overhaul of its approach to risk as it reshaped itself coming out of the financial crisis and worked through credit issues. In April, he was named CFO, a position he will assume by the end of the second quarter.
BANKERS
KEVIN BROWN, HEAD OF GLOBAL PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, GLOBAL TRANSACTION SERVICES, RBS
Brown led the separation and integration of ABN AMROʼs transaction banking business into RBS Global Transaction Services and is now shaping GTSʼ product strategy across the globe to bring innovative, relevant solutions to clients as well as defining the bankʼs strategy on payment industry issues and market infrastructures.
DAVID CRUIKSHANK, EVP AND CEO OF TREASURY SERVICES, BNY MELLON
Cruikshank sets the strategic direction and leads business execution for the companyʼs global payment, trade finance and cash management businesses, which offer solutions that are delivered to governments, corporations and financial institutions globally.
STEVE ELLIS, EVP AND HEAD OF WHOLESALE SERVICES, WELLS FARGO & CO.
Ellis has pushed Wells Fargoʼs online platform to the forefront with its use of advanced technology to administer online banking services and integrate those services into a one-stop shopping portal.
STEVEN FRADKIN, PRESIDENT, CORPORATE AND INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES, NORTHERN TRUST
As head of the corporate and institutional unit at Northern Trust, Fradkin oversees the asset servicing, investment management and banking services the bank provides to institutional clients worldwide. Earlier, as CFO, he helped navigate the financial crisis.
AMOL GUPTE, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND NORTH AMERICA HEAD OF TREASURY AND TRADE SOLUTIONS, CITI GLOBAL TRANSACTION SERVICES
In charge of cash and trade products for North America, Gupte oversaw Citiʼs roll-out of the first flu care card that does not require prepayment and controlled spend accounts for the U.S. Air Force, as well as the bankʼs critical role as paying agent and trustee for the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Trust.
KATHLEEN HUGHES, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND HEAD OF GLOBAL LIQUIDITY SALES, GOLDMAN SACHS ASSET MANAGEMENT
Hughes hit the ground running when she joined Goldman Sachs in September. She built a global team, developed new product capabilities for clients in Asia and brought
U.S. expertise to managing customized short-duration portfolios for clients in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
SHAHROKH MOINIAN, HEAD OF TRADE FINANCE AND CASH MANAGEMENT CORPORATES, THE AMERICAS, GLOBAL TRANSACTION BANKING, DEUTSCHE BANK
Moinian drives Americas-based corporates to realize value by moving to next generation treasury structures centered on working capital, including an integrated cash management and supplier financing model, as he extends the bankʼs reach in Latin America.
MICHAEL MONTOYA, HEAD OF GLOBAL PAYMENTS AND CASH MANAGEMENT SERVICES, UBS
Montoya heads a group that provides UBS with a consolidated and global cash management solution governing every cash movement made across its external accounts. Heʼs also responsible for the units that develop payment and cash solutions and carry out payments transactions for clients.
ANNE CLARKE WOLFF, GLOBAL CLIENT EXECUTIVE, J.P. MORGAN TREASURY & SECURITIES SERVICES
Wolffʼs organization, which supports clients in 180 countries and territories, played a key role in J.P. Morgan Treasury & Securities Servicesʼ recent growth. Her drive has led to the extension of strategic partnerships within the bank to ensure clients receive the products, services and support they need.
TECHNOCRATS
ROBERT CALDERONI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, ARIBA
Calderoniʼs Ariba prospered by moving its spend management solution to the cloud, growing the number of businesses on its B-to-B network, and claiming 98 of the Fortune 100 as customers.
LÁZARO CAMPOS, CEO, SWIFT
Campos stepped up SWIFTʼs corporate game when he took over in 2007—just before visibility to cash and gaining fast access to multiple banking partners became necessity. Making it easier and more affordable for corporates to connect to SWIFT and new tools, like eBAM and 3SKey, followed.
SCOTT COFFING, PRESIDENT, SUNGARD AVANTGARD
Coffing leads SunGardʼs efforts to help companies improve the connectivity of receivables, treasury and payables processes, and push beyond treasury management to achieve liquidity management.
LARRY ELLISON, CEO, ORACLE
Ellison's Oracle expanded beyond its ERP and database beginnings in recent years to build an array of financial products, including such mainstays as Hyperion, and improve their interoperability.
STEVE JOBS, CEO, APPLE
Business is going mobile as executives flock to devices like Appleʼs iPad and iPhone. Finance staffers seem particularly interested in tablets like the iPad, which provide many desktop capabilities but can be accessed on the go.
SETH MERRIN, FOUNDER AND CEO, LIQUIDNET
After inventing the first order management system, Merrin founded Liquidnet, a global institutional marketplace for trading large blocks of stock. He now aims to help corporate issuers execute capital markets transactions, including buybacks, stock offerings and IPOs, more efficiently.
JIRO OKOCHI, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, REVAL
Okochiʼs acquisition of Central European cash management vendor ecofinance expanded Revalʼs horizons, pushing it into the cash management space and growing its geographical footprint.
KURT SCHNEIBER, CEO, SYNCADA FROM VISA
Under Schneiberʼs leadership, Syncada, which processes invoices and payments and provides financing, is gaining momentum, recently signing on two new banks, Citi and Commerce Bancshares.
STEVE WEILAND, VP OF STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT, WEILAND FINANCIAL GROUP, OPEN SOLUTIONS
EBAM is the rage these days, and Weiland and his company were pioneers in automating bank account management and making the cost of services more visible with bank account analysis.
RULEMAKERS AND LOBBYISTS
BEN BERNANKE, CHAIRMAN, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD
As he struggled to contain the financial crisis and the recession, Bernanke altered the way the Fed uses its balance sheet, reshaping U.S. monetary policy and making it significantly more transparent.
JAMES BULLARD, PRESIDENT AND CEO, FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ST. LOUIS
Bullard emerged as a strong voice at the Fed and an interesting barometer on Fed policymaking, staking out a position of his own on policy and the outlook for the economy.
ROBERT COOK, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF TRADING AND MARKETS, U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Cook, who heads the division that develops new regulations, directs the staff that is not only interpreting Dodd-Frank but also dealing with market structure issues such as high-frequency trading.
THOMAS DEAS, PRESIDENT, NACT; TREASURER AND VP, FMC CORP.
As regulators mulled how to regulate OTC derivatives, Deas worked to explain the perspective of companies that rely on derivatives to hedge their risks and argue for rules that allow that use to continue.
RONALD DICKEL, VP OF FINANCE AND DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL TAX AND
TRADE, INTEL
As a key corporate participant on tax and fiscal policy issues, Dickel is expected to play a major role in the coming efforts to reform corporate taxes.
JAMES DOTY, CHAIRMAN, PUBLIC COMPANY ACCOUNTING OVERSIGHT BOARD
The new PCAOB chairman plans to revamp the report prepared by external auditors to make it more useful and is arguing for more openness in the PCAOBʼs disciplinary proceedings against audit firms.
TIMOTHY GEITHNER, SECRETARY, U.S. TREASURY
The Treasury secretary still has a plate heaped with pressing topics, ranging from the European debt crisis to the U.S. debt ceiling and the Obama administrationʼs efforts to rework the corporate tax code.
GARY GENSLER, CHAIRMAN, U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
Gensler, a former Goldman Sachs partner, is in the hot seat as he leads regulatorsʼ efforts to write the rules that will implement Dodd-Frankʼs restrictions on OTC derivatives.
DAVID HIRSCHMANN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Hirschmann and the chamber, together with the Business Roundtable, have put a stop for the time being to proxy access with a lawsuit that charges the SEC failed to consider the impact on companies.
FRANK KEATING, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION
Keating only arrived at the ABA this year, but he has played a prominent role in the industryʼs efforts to limit its pain from Dodd-Frank and regulatorsʼ positions on interchange fees.
SCOTT OʼMALIA, COMMISSIONER, U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
As the CFTC debated how best to regulate the derivatives market, OʼMalia argued for regulations that will make it feasible, and affordable, for corporate hedgers to continue to use derivatives.
MARY SCHAPIRO, CHAIRMAN, U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Dodd-Frank left the SEC with a mountain of regulations to write, on top of the agencyʼs many other priorities, and now Congress threatens to cut Schapiroʼs budget.
GOVERNMENT AGENTS
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The president got a boost from the dispatch of Osama bin Laden, but back in Washington, GOP legislators are pushing for a confrontation on fiscal policy, and the 2012 election looms.
U.S. REP. SPENCER BACHUS (R-ALA.), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE
Bachus, who will have a lot of influence over how Dodd-Frank is implemented, complains that the legislation tries to “micromanage” the financial industry and says regulatory agenciesʼ rule-making is being “rushed.”
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-ILL.)
Durbin roiled the banking world with his fight to limit the debit card interchange fees that banks charge retailers, an effort that was highlighted by his public spat with Jamie Dimon.
DOUGLAS ELMENDORF, DIRECTOR, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
Serving as a fiscal arbiter amid the flame-throwing on Capitol Hill these days sounds like hazardous duty, and Elmendorfʼs analyses and estimates displease both Republicans and Democrats.
U.S. REP. BARNEY FRANK (D-MASS.)
After shepherding Dodd-Frank into law in 2010, the powerful Massachusetts Democrat faces the battle over implementing the new law, with an emboldened Republican majority in the House vowing to hobble it.
U.S. REP. DARRELL ISSA (R-CALIF.), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
Issa plans to use his subpoena power to challenge the White House and government regulators, calling Obama “one of the most corrupt presidents of modern times.”
JOSHUA ODINTZ, CHIEF TAX COUNSEL, NATIONAL COMMISSION ON FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND REFORM
Odintz played a major role in work of the bipartisan commission appointed by Obama, which came up with recommendations for reducing the deficit and tackling a looming crisis in the funding of Medicare and Social Security.
U.S. REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WISC.), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE
Ryan met with serious criticism for his “Roadmap for America,” but his proposal gave a jolt of renewed urgency to the debate about the federal deficit.
GLOBAL LEADERS
MARK CARNEY, GOVERNOR, BANK OF CANADA
The head of Canadaʼs central bank wins kudos for his skillful handling of the financial crisis, which included a public commitment to keep interest rates low for at least a year.
MARIO DRAGHI, GOVERNOR, BANK OF ITALY
Draghi is expected to succeed Jean-Claude Trichet as head of the European Central Bank. With the bailout of Greece looking shaky and the credit situation of a number of second-tier Euro-zoneeconomies worsening, Draghi may end up wishing heʼd stayed at the Bank of Italy.
MERVYN KING, GOVERNOR, BANK OF ENGLAND
King gets credit for pressing the U.K. government to reduce the bonuses that top British bankers have been paying themselves.
LOU JIWEI, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, CHINA INVESTMENT CORP.
With more than $332 billion to play with, Lou is clearly one of the worldʼs most influential investors. CIC is locking up access to Iranian and Iraqi oil, as well as other commodities around the globe, and buying industrial assets, including a 15% stake in Virginia power company AES.
ANGELA MERKEL, CHANCELLOR, GERMANY
As the leader of Europeʼs largest and strongest economy, Merkel played a central role in dealing with threatened defaults by weaker EU member states like Ireland, Greece and Portugal. Faced with a German public unhappy with the bailout, critics say she has been slow to act, but she nonetheless managed to win backing for the rescues.
MASAAKI SHIRAKAWA, GOVERNOR, BANK OF JAPAN
Shirakawa played a key role in keeping liquidity flowing in Japanʼs economy following the trio of disasters, at the same time struggling to keep the yen from appreciating and crushing Japanese exports.
ALEXANDRE TOMBINI, PRESIDENT, BANCO CENTRAL DO BRASIL
Tombini is fighting to rein in credit and tamp down Brazilʼs galloping inflation, which pushed consumer prices up 6.4% over the first four months of this year.
ZHOU XIAOCHUAN, GOVERNOR, PEOPLEʼS BANK OF CHINA
As head of Chinaʼs central bank, Zhou oversees the gradual drive toward making the renminbi fully convertible. At the same time, Zhou clamped down on credit in an effort to tame inflation.
HEAVY HITTERS
VIRAL ACHARYA, PROFESSOR OF FINANCE, NEW YORK UNIVERSITYʼS STERN SCHOOL
As central banks focus more on the financial sectorʼs stability, Acharya and a group of colleagues devised an approach that models the extent of the capital shortage big banks might face in a future financial crisis.
BEN CAMPBELL, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CAPITAL ADVISORS GROUP
Campbellʼs firm put a strong emphasis on managing risks related to short-term investments, a stance evident in Capitol Advisorsʼ early warning on auction-rate securities. More recently, the firm rolled out FundIQ research to look at the risks involved in institutional money funds.
MARVIN GOODFRIEND, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS, CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITYʼS TEPPER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
When the Fed switches to tightening, it will have a new tool at its disposal: paying interest on the reserves banks hold at the Fed, an innovation whose adoption reflects Goodfriendʼs research.
WILLIAM GROSS, FOUNDER AND CO-CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, PIMCO
Gross, who runs the worldʼs biggest bond fund, announced this year that he was unloading government securities, in a trenchant criticism of U.S. fiscal policy.
MAYA MACGUINEAS, PRESIDENT, COMMITTEE FOR A RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL BUDGET
As head of this bipartisan group, MacGuineas held politiciansʼ feet to the fire in December, blasting the Obama administration and Republican congressional leaders for following up their budget compromise with a “stinker” of a tax cut plan.
RAGHURAM RAJAN, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGOʼS BOOTH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Rajan, the former chief economist at the IMF, met with scorn when he warned in 2005 of looming risks posed by the activities of the financial sector. Now his work on financial risks garners attention.
MOVING TARGETS
ROGER ALTMAN, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, EVERCORE
Altmanʼs boutique investment banking firm, in existence only since 1996, has run up an impressive string of assignments recently, including advising on AT&Tʼs T-Mobile deal, Exelonʼs bid for Constellation and General Motorsʼ $20 billion IPO.
STEVE BALLMER, CEO, MICROSOFT
In a surprise move, Ballmer moved to bolster the software giantʼs Web capabilities with an $8.5 billion bid for video and Voice over Internet Protocol provider Skype.
JAMIE DIMON, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, J.P.MORGAN CHASE & Co.
Dimon and J.P. Morgan started 2011 with a bang with the news the bank was advising AT&T on its bid for T-Mobile, signaling its investment banking chops, and providing AT&T with a $20 billion loan, a tribute to the strength of J.P. Morganʼs balance sheet.
MARGARET FORAN, CHIEF GOVERNANCE OFFICER, CORPORATE SECRETARY AND VP, PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
Prudentialʼs 2011 proxy filing has won kudos for setting out information in easy-to- understand language, as Foran continues to establish best practices in the field of governance.
JEFFREY IMMELT, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, GENERAL ELECTRIC
A high profile can be a mixed blessing. The administrationʼs naming Immelt to head its Council on Jobs and Competitiveness drew criticism of the extent of GEʼs offshore employees, and then reports on GEʼs tax strategies made the company the poster child for corporate tax avoidance.
JIM KAITZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ASSOCIATION FOR FINANCIAL
PROFESSIONALS
Kaitz raised the visibility of the treasury profession with his work in Washington on a range of concerns, including derivative and money fund regulations and tax issues.
JULES KROLL, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, KROLL BOND RATING AGENCY
Kroll is a pioneer in the field of corporate investigations and security, and he used that experience to take on the established credit rating agencies with his start-up.
RANDALL STEPHENSON, CHAIRMAN, CEO AND PRESIDENT, AT&T
Stephensonʼs $39 billion bid for T-Mobile is meant to remedy the shortfalls in AT&Tʼs infrastructure, a move that should make for happier customers—assuming regulators approve the transaction.
ANN YERGER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COUNCIL OF INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
Yerger played a big role in pushing for the federal requirement that U.S. public companies give shareholders a vote on executive compensation, or “say on pay.”
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