George Washington alumni discussed their experiences at the epicenter of the financial crisis at a March 2 symposium in New York.
The panelists included Abby Joseph Cohen, M.A. ’76, president of the Global Markets Institute and senior investment strategist at Goldman Sachs Group Inc.; James Runde, M.S. ’73, special advisor and former vice chairman, Morgan Stanley; Ira “Ike” Sorkin, J.D. ’68, attorney and Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement expert; and Darryl R. Steinberg, J.D. ’89, managing director and senior tax counsel, Lehman Brothers.
Held in the famous Morgan Library & Museum, GW’s second annual Wall Street Symposium was sponsored by the Luther Rice Society, the university’s oldest giving society, and its Financial Services Alliance.
After brief remarks from GW President Steven Knapp, the panel was moderated by Diana B. Henriques, B.A. ’69, senior financial writer for The New York Times and chair of the International Advisory Council of the Elliott School of International Affairs.
The 200 alumni in attendance heard firsthand details about the current economic crisis from the panelists, who were—and continue to be—in the trenches of Wall Street. The panelists also offered insight on the direction of the country and its financial industries as well as possible routes to recovery.
Later that evening, President Knapp hosted a dinner for the panelists and other financial leaders in JP Morgan’s private library, the same room where Morgan brought together the leaders of the major banks in the crash of 1907. Morgan locked the doors and told the bankers they would be there until they solved the crisis, which they did by morning with a major bailout.
“This event tonight, and what our board has been doing for the past year, is the first step of a long and integral process,” said Richard Goldstein, B.A. ’81, managing director at Havens Advisors and co-chairman of the Luther Rice Society Financial Services Alliance board of directors.
“We intend to lay the groundwork for a dynamic, strong and prominent alumni group here in the New York metropolitan area to benefit the university, the alumni, and the students for years to come,” said Mr. Goldstein, who co-chairs the alliance board with Jeffrey Silverman, B.A. ’84, a managing director at Tudor Investment Corp. “We invite everyone affiliated with the university to join us.”
Named in honor of Columbian College founder, the Luther Rice Society provides networking opportunities, exclusive events and access to GW’s leading alumni and university officials. The LRS Financial Services Alliance is a network of Luther Rice Society members working in all facets of the financial services industry.