From 2003 to 2006, Rich was the first-ever Head of Global Communications for Lazard Ltd, the worldwide financial advisory and asset-management firm, and one of the world’s most highly respected financial brands. He supervised all communications before, during, and after Lazard’s controversial 2005 IPO, a move that ended 157 years of private ownership. At Lazard, Rich directed media relations, employee communications, and new media activities across Lazard’s global network of 29 offices in 16 countries. He also produced the firm’s first-ever Annual Report, managed a complete renovation of the website, and was a regular contributor to Lazard’s investor relations efforts. Rich was responsible for supervising all of Lazard’s outside PR agency relationships in North America, Europe and Asia. Rich regularly worked with top-tier global financial media as well as with key trade publications, and was responsible for all communications activities for Lazard Capital Markets (capital markets, research, alternative investments), a separate business spun off from Lazard Ltd in 2005.

Prior to Lazard, Rich was the Global Director of Corporate Media Relations, and Head of External and Crisis Communications, for Honeywell International, a Dow 30 global conglomerate with more than 100,000 employees in 90 countries. At Honeywell, he worked with senior management on external communications and as principle corporate spokesman for financial results, regulatory issues and crisis situations. Rich was active in the planning and execution of the Honeywell corporate website re-design, and worked closely with investor relations, employee communications, philanthropic activities, special events, community relations, and marketing executives across the various business lines.

From 1994 through 2001, Rich held senior communications posts for Merrill Lynch in New York and London, culminating in his appointment as Global Head of Media Relations. In that role, Rich supervised a global team of 20 media professionals, along with 15 consulting firms in 16 nations, covering all products and services, including wealth management, research, asset management, investment banking and securities trading. Rich was a key member of Merrill Lynch’s award-winning communications team, which was recognized for its work in the aftermath of the 9/11 crisis for planning and implementing press strategies that resulted in significant positive media results. He routinely partnered with colleagues in investor relations, employee communications, philanthropic activities, special events, community relations and speechwriting, and provided frequent communications advice to senior management on countless media relations activities. Rich also served as an internal and external speaker on media-related activities and programs. While based in London for two-plus years, he oversaw the successful development of firm’s European media relations program as Merrill Lynch expanded across the region. Rich also managed firm’s critical conversion-to-Euro and Y2K media efforts, resulting in favorable coverage for the company worldwide; and supervised the heavily scrutinized global press effort for Merrill Lynch’s largest-ever acquisition, the multibillion-dollar purchase of UK-based Mercury Asset Management.

Rich began his professional career as a financial journalist at The Wall Street Journal, serving in a variety of editorial posts at the WSJ and its parent, Dow Jones, for 11 years. At Dow Jones Newswires, he covered Wall Street, and wrote its first-ever regular column, focusing on wealth management, investment banking and asset management. Rich has had more than 20 news stories published in The Wall Street Journal.

Rich also worked as a senior editor and assistant bureau chief for Bloomberg News, where he was part of a management team that oversaw the opening of the Princeton bureau with its staff of 30 reporters.

Rich graduated from New York University with a BA degree, earning a double major in journalism and history. Rich also completed the MIT-Harvard public disputes program, “Dealing with an Angry Public.”

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Mitch was the CEO of a real estate start-up business in San Francisco and owned a small, highly profitable business in New York with more than 40 employees in three locations. After he successfully sold his business, Mitch worked as a consultant for a New York-based bank, a California-based web company, a Florida-based wholesaler, and a New York-based multi-office dental specialty practice.

Mitch received a full academic scholarship to attend New York University and graduated with honors while earning a BA in Economics. Mitch was then granted a full scholarship to attend graduate school at the State University of New York at Buffalo, graduating with honors while receiving his doctorate. Mitch went on to earn a postgraduate doctorate from Columbia University in New York.

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Previously, Mr. Williams worked as a senior quantitative-product engineer at Quantitative Research Group after working as a portfolio manager at TIAA-CREF, the largest retirement fund in the United States. At TIAA-CREF, he quantitatively managed and co-managed products including Global Equity, US Growth and Income, and various Index portfolios, in addition to developing global models. Before that, Mr. Williams provided a range of stock selection and portfolio risk-control solutions to Brown Brothers Harriman and Oppenheimer & Co. Mr. Williams received a BA in Computer Science from New York University, an MS in Economics from the University of Wisconsin, and an MS with Distinction in Statistics and Operations Research from New York University.

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