February 10, 2015
Clark Gascoigne, +1 202 293 0740 ext. 222
John C. Whitehead (Right) with former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2012 | Credit: Elsa Ruiz/Asia Society/Flickr
Top Wall Street Banker Understood the Need for Transparency in the Global Financial System
“A True Statesman and an American Hero”
WASHINGTON, DC – Global Financial Integrity (GFI) praised John C. Whitehead, a longtime member of the organization’s Advisory Board, as a true American hero and champion of ethics on Wall Street upon his passing at the age of 92 on Saturday. A World War II veteran, who commanded a D-Day landing craft ferrying troops to Omaha Beach, Mr. Whitehead went on to lead Goldman Sachs and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before serving as Deputy U.S. Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan. Mr. Whitehead most recently led efforts to help rebuild Manhattan following the September 11th terrorist attacks and served as Chairman of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation.
GFI President Raymond Baker issued the following:
“John was a true Statesman and an American Hero. Whether on the beaches of Normandy, in the halls of the State Department, or at the World Trade Center Memorial, John was always there to serve his country with honor and distinction. He carried this integrity with him to the streets of Lower Manhattan, where he led Goldman Sachs and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. A banker at the pinnacle of his industry, John understood the need for change in global finance. He saw the damaging effect that tax haven secrecy, money laundering, crime, and corruption took on developing countries, and he was one of the first people to sign up to advise GFI at its inception nine years ago. John has been a good friend and an excellent human being. His strong principles, service, and ethics will be sorely missed.”
The rest of GFI’s Advisory Board consists of Nelson Barbosa, Arvinn Eikeland Gadgil, Kenneth M. Jensen, Eva Joly, Robert M. Morgenthau, Moisés Naím, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
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Notes to Editors:
- Click here to read an HTML version of this press release on our website.
- Click here to read The New York Times obituary for John C. Whitehead, published February 9, 2015.
- Click here to read The Wall Street Journal obituary for John C. Whitehead, published February 9, 2015.
- Click here for a full list of GFI’s Advisory Board.
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