Robert Harrison (financier)
Robert S. Harrison | |
|---|---|
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, banker, nonprofit executive |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Known for | Interim CEO of the Clinton Foundation; former CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative; Chair of the Board of Trustees at Cornell University |
Robert S. Harrison is an American professional with expertise in banking, law, and leadership roles within educational and philanthropic organizations.
He presently holds the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer at the Clinton Foundation and previously led the Clinton Global Initiative as CEO from 2007 through 2016. Before that tenure, Harrison was the inaugural Executive Director for the Clinton Foundation’s program addressing childhood obesity from 2005 to 2007. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Clinton Foundation's Board of Directors. Additionally, he chaired the Board of Trustees at Cornell University between 2011 and 2022, having been appointed as a trustee in 2002.
Harrison completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University in 1976. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholar scholarship to study at University of Oxford and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale University.
His professional journey began with corporate law practice at Davis, Polk and Wardwell in both New York and Paris from 1981 until 1987. Subsequently, he joined Goldman Sachs, where he advanced to partner and served as global co-head of the Communications, Media, and Entertainment investment banking division until 2003.
In addition to his corporate roles, Harrison has contributed to fundraising efforts for presidential campaigns including those of Wesley Clark and John Kerry. He holds trusteeships with the Rhodes Trust, serves as a Director for both the Association of American Rhodes Scholars and the Clinton Foundation, is Chairman Emeritus of the Henry Street Settlement Board, and participates as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.