From the Elliott School to Global Finance Leader

Thursday, November 4th, 2021
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Lindner Family Commons, Suite 602, and Online via Zoom

From the Elliott School to Global Finance Leader: A Discussion with James Quigley, ESIA BA ’82

Inaugural Wenger Family Lecture

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a global banker who rose to the top of one of the largest financial firms in the nation? In the Inaugural Wenger Family Lecture on International Business and Finance, James Quigley, BA ’82, a forty-year Wall Street veteran who joined Merrill Lynch not long after graduation day, discussed his career lessons and successes in conversation with Elliott School Dean Alyssa Ayres. Mr. Quigley’s work has taken him around the world – and his success stems in large part from his ability to understand cultural nuances in dozens of nations. This event was presented by the Elliott School Office of Development and Alumni Relations and cosponsored by the Henry E. & Consuelo S. Wenger Foundation and the Institute for International Economic Policy.

About the Speaker:

Picture of James QuigleyJames Quigley is a Managing Director and was named Executive Vice Chairman of International Corporate and Investment Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2010. He is responsible for enhancing the firm’s relationships with key private and public sector issuer clients and institutional investors globally to ensure delivery of the bank’s full capabilities across asset classes and product sets. Previously, he was president of Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Latin America Group and managed all activities of the broader institution within the region.

Prior to Bank of America and Merrill Lynch’s merger, Quigley was Vice Chairman of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., Executive Chairman of Merrill Lynch International and Head of Latin America Global Markets & Investment Banking. As Executive Chairman of Merrill Lynch International, he served as partner and advisor to the global business heads and BlackRock, Inc. to maximize revenue and strategic growth opportunities across key markets in origination, trading, private client and principal investing businesses. As Head of Latin America Global, he defined business strategy in the region, integrating country, industry and product capabilities. He was also responsible for integrating businesses in Canada and for client coverage in the CEEMEA Region. As Vice Chairman, Quigley worked with the leaders of Global Markets & Investment Banking’s core businesses and regional executive management to prioritize and implement client coverage and origination strategies to maximize revenue opportunities, including aligning the global client origination efforts with those of the Merrill Lynch Bank Group.

Quigley, who joined Merrill Lynch in January 1983 in the New York Debt Syndicate Group, has held a variety of senior positions including Senior Vice President and Head of Client Strategies for Global Debt Markets, Head of GDM’s Global Issuer Client Group, Executive Director of the Global Syndicate Group, Head of the U.S. High Grade Syndicate Group and Head of the Debt Transactions Group.

At the Elliott School, Quigley served on the Board of Advisors for 12 years, from 2000-2008 and 2014-2018. He currently serves on the Executive Circle for the Institute for International Economic Policy.

About the Moderator:

Picture of Alyssa AyresAlyssa Ayres is Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Dean Ayres is a foreign policy practitioner and award-winning author with senior experience in the government, nonprofit, and private sectors. She was Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where she remains an adjunct senior fellow. From 2010 to 2013 Ayres served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia in the Barack Obama administration, where she covered all issues across a dynamic region of 1.3 billion people at the time (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and provided policy direction for four U.S. embassies and four consulates. Her work focuses primarily on India’s role in the world and on U.S. relations with South Asia in the larger Indo-Pacific. Her most recent book is, Our Time Has Come: How India is Making Its Place in the World (OUP, 2018). She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

This event is presented by the Elliott School Office of Development and Alumni Relations and cosponsored by the Henry E. & Consuelo S. Wenger Foundation and the Institute for International Economic Policy.

GW Students, Faculty, and Staff are welcome to attend this event in person at the address below or via Zoom:

Elliott School of International Affairs
Lindner Family Commons, Suite 602
1957 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20052

Alumni, Guests, and General Public: Online via Zoom. Details for joining the event by computer or phone will be sent the day before the event. Please be mindful of the time zone of the presentation (ET).

A reception follows the discussion for the in-person audience.

A note about COVID-19: The health and well-being of GW students, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff remains a top priority for GW and all alumni events will proceed in compliance with all state, local, and public health guidelines.

Please complete the above form (“Register Here”) to officially register. Please register yourself individually for possible contact tracing and to ensure receipt of Zoom information. For questions, please contact Elaine Garbe in Elliott School Alumni Programs at egarbe@gwu.edu.