David Komansky
Encyclopedia
David H. Komansky is the former chairman and CEO of Merrill Lynch & Company
.
Komansky grew up in a family of Russian Jewish immigrants and Irish Catholics. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard before getting a degree from the University of Miami
in 1965. Komansky joined Merrill Lynch in 1968 as a broker and became a regional director in 1981 and an executive vice president in 1990. Komansky also served as a director and chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch from December 1996 to December 2002, and as a director, president and chief operating officer of Merrill Lynch from January 1995 to December 1996.
He is married to wife Phyllis and has two daughters, Jennifer and Elyssa.
Komansky retired as Chairman from Merrill Lynch in April 2003 after spending 35 years at the firm. Upon his announcement of retirement, John Gutfreund
, who ran investment bank Salomon Brothers
in the 1980s, said, "David Komansky has been one of the major contributors to the financial community's progress throughout the world during his tenure at Merrill Lynch."
Komansky kept a picture of the Bronx
tenement building in which he grew up hanging inside his office.
Among many professional affiliations, he serves as a director of BlackRock
and as a member of the International Advisory Board of the British American Business Council. Active in many civic and charitable organisations, he serves on the Board of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
.
In July 2005, the Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children's Health was established at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University to make medical care more accessible, advanced, and supportive of the needs of young patients and their families. He is also a member of the board of directors of London-based WPP Group
, a business conglomerate.
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
.
Komansky grew up in a family of Russian Jewish immigrants and Irish Catholics. He joined the U.S. Coast Guard before getting a degree from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1965. Komansky joined Merrill Lynch in 1968 as a broker and became a regional director in 1981 and an executive vice president in 1990. Komansky also served as a director and chief executive officer of Merrill Lynch from December 1996 to December 2002, and as a director, president and chief operating officer of Merrill Lynch from January 1995 to December 1996.
He is married to wife Phyllis and has two daughters, Jennifer and Elyssa.
Komansky retired as Chairman from Merrill Lynch in April 2003 after spending 35 years at the firm. Upon his announcement of retirement, John Gutfreund
John Gutfreund
John H. Gutfreund is the former CEO of Salomon Brothers Inc, an investment bank that gained notoriety in the 1980s. Gutfreund turned Salomon Brothers from a private partnership into a publicly traded corporation which started a trend in Wall Street for investment companies to go public. He became...
, who ran investment bank Salomon Brothers
Salomon Brothers
Salomon Brothers was a bulge bracket, Wall Street investment bank. Founded in 1910 by three brothers along with a clerk named Ben Levy, it remained a partnership until the early 1980s, when it was acquired by the commodity trading firm Phibro Corporation and then became Salomon Inc. Eventually...
in the 1980s, said, "David Komansky has been one of the major contributors to the financial community's progress throughout the world during his tenure at Merrill Lynch."
Komansky kept a picture of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
tenement building in which he grew up hanging inside his office.
Among many professional affiliations, he serves as a director of BlackRock
BlackRock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment management corporation and the world's largest asset manager. BlackRock is headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States and is the leading provider of investment, advisory, and risk management solutions...
and as a member of the International Advisory Board of the British American Business Council. Active in many civic and charitable organisations, he serves on the Board of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools: Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. It is composed of two distinct medical centers, Columbia...
.
In July 2005, the Phyllis and David Komansky Center for Children's Health was established at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University to make medical care more accessible, advanced, and supportive of the needs of young patients and their families. He is also a member of the board of directors of London-based WPP Group
WPP Group
WPP plc is a global media communications services company with its main management office in London, United Kingdom and its executive office in Dublin, Ireland. It is the world's largest advertising group by revenues, and employs over 150,000 people in 2,400 offices in 107 countries...
, a business conglomerate.