Susan Wagner
Susan Wagner | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1961 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Financial executive |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Known for | Co-founder, vice chairman, and chief operating officer of BlackRock |
Susan Lynne Wagner (born 1961) is a prominent American financial leader and one of the founding partners of BlackRock, which stands as the largest asset management company worldwide, managing $10.01 trillion in assets under management as of January 2024. She held the positions of vice chairman and chief operating officer at BlackRock.
In 2011, Wagner earned accolades as one of the "Most Powerful Women in New York" and was also listed among the "50 Most Powerful Women in Business."
Early life and education
Wagner was born in 1961 in Chicago. She graduated with honors from Wellesley College in 1982, obtaining a BA degree in English and Economics. She later pursued an MBA specializing in finance at the University of Chicago, completing it in 1984.
Career
Following her MBA, Wagner worked as vice president within the mortgage finance division at Lehman Brothers. In 1988, she and Ralph Schlosstein departed Lehman to join Blackstone Financial Group, which eventually evolved into BlackRock.
As a co-founder of BlackRock in 1988, Wagner served as vice chairman and chief operating officer. She spearheaded BlackRock’s mergers and acquisitions efforts, including deals involving Quellos, Merrill Lynch Investment Management, and Barclays Global Investors. Prior to her retirement in 2012, Wagner was instrumental in broadening BlackRock's operations into regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and Brazil. She continues to contribute as a member of BlackRock’s board of directors and holds a trustee position at the Hackley School.
In May 2014, Wagner was invited to deliver the commencement speech for Wellesley College’s graduating class. Subsequently, in July 2014, she joined the board of Apple Inc., succeeding William Campbell. Wagner became the second female director on Apple’s eight-member board and was its sole member with a background in finance. That same year, she was appointed to the board of directors at Swiss Re.
Awards
Wagner was honored with the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Finance Pioneer Award at the United Nations in 2023, recognizing her as a pioneering figure who drives impactful innovation within the business sector.