James J. Schiro

James J. Schiro
Born	(1946-01-02) 2 January 1946 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	13 August 2014(2014-08-13) (aged 68) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	CEO of PricewaterhouseCoopers and Zurich Financial Services; board member of PepsiCo, Philips, Goldman Sachs
Spouse	Tomasina Schiro
Children	2

James Joseph Schiro (January 2, 1946 – August 13, 2014) was a prominent American executive who held the position of CEO at both PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Zurich Financial Services. He also served on the boards of major global corporations such as PepsiCo, Philips, and Goldman Sachs.

Early life

Schiro was born in Brooklyn, New York, into an Italian-American family and practiced Catholicism. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from St. John's University in 1967, followed by an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. In addition, he was certified as a Public Accountant.

Career

Beginning his professional journey at Price Waterhouse in 1967, Schiro climbed the corporate ladder to become Chairman and senior partner by 1994. After the 1998 merger with Coopers & Lybrand, he assumed the role of CEO at PricewaterhouseCoopers. From 2002 until 2006, he served as CEO of Zurich Financial Services. His corporate governance experience extended through board memberships with PepsiCo, Philips, Goldman Sachs, and REVA Medical.

Schiro actively engaged with organizations such as the Geneva Association and the European Financial Services Roundtable, concentrating on insurance economics and strategic financial services issues. He was also a trustee at the Institute for Advanced Study, participated in the World Economic Forum's Business Council, and supported initiatives like the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. His leadership roles included Chairmanship of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce and Vice Chairmanship of the American Friends of the Lucerne Festival.

His involvement with regulatory and professional bodies encompassed membership in the Independence Standards Board under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, affiliation with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and participation in the New York State Society of Public Accountants. Furthermore, he held positions such as Treasurer and Executive Committee member within the United States Council for International Business, contributed to the British-North American Committee, served on the Tri-State Board of Governors for the United Way, and was a director at the United States-China Business Council.

Honors and politics

Schiro contributed to academia through service on the Board of Trustees at St. John's University and on the Advisory Board for Tsinghua School of Economics and Management in Beijing. His accolades include receiving the Gold Key Award from the Avenue of the Americas Association (1992), the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (1994), and the National Human Relations Award from the American Jewish Committee (1997).

Politically aligned with the Republican Party, he endorsed John McCain’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2008, supported George W. Bush in 2004, as well as backing politicians Al D'Amato and Rudy Giuliani.

Personal life

Schiro was married to Tomasina Schiro and had two children: Justine and James Jr.

He passed away at age 68 in Princeton, New Jersey, on August 13, 2014, due to multiple myeloma.