Columbia’s Board of Trustees announced two new members, James P Gorman and Alisa Amarosa Wood, in a Columbia News email sent to students.

On Friday, September 27, a mass Columbia News email announced two new members were added to Columbia’s Board of Trustees. 

James P Gorman is the executive chairman at Morgan Stanley, where he served as CEO from 2010 to 2023. Gorman has also had executive positions at Merrill Lynch and was a senior partner at McKinsey & Co. He began his career as an attorney in Melbourne, Australia and received an MBA from Columbia University in 1987. His Columbia affiliation extends to his roles as a graduate member of the Business Council and the Chair of the Board of Overseers of the Columbia Business School. He also currently works as a Director for the Walt Disney Company and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Alisa Amarosa Wood is a partner at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, leading the investment firm’s “two private equity open-ended, perpetual vehicles,” according to the email. Wood also serves on the Columbia University Investment Management Company Board, Columbia Business School Private Equity Board, and the Private Equity Women’s Investor Network Board of Directors. Wood earned a BA from Columbia College in 2001 and an MBA from the University in 2008. She was awarded the John Jay Award in 2019, given to Columbia College alumni for distinguished professional achievement. 

Further information about the new trustees may be found on the Board of Trustees page linked in the email announcement. 

In the last year, Columbia’s Board of Trustees has faced criticism due to affiliations and investments with Israeli companies and their reported approval of the arrests of student protesters. Following the administration’s decision to halt negotiations with student protesters and bring the NYPD on campus on April 30, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) organized demonstrations in front of the homes and offices of Columbia and Barnard Trustees.

Email from Columbia News sent to the Columbia community on Friday, September 27 at 3:33 pm : 

Columbia News 

James P. Gorman and Alisa Amarosa Wood Join Columbia’s Board of Trustees

James P. Gorman (BUS’87) is executive chairman of Morgan Stanley, previously serving as CEO from 2010 to 2023. Before he joined Morgan Stanley, Gorman held a succession of executive positions at Merrill Lynch, and prior to this was a senior partner of McKinsey & Co. He began his career as an attorney in Melbourne, Australia.

Alisa Amarosa Wood (CC’01, BUS’08) is a partner at KKR and leads the firm’s two private equity open-ended, perpetual vehicles. She also sits on the Columbia University Investment Management Company Board, Columbia Business School Private Equity Board, and the Private Equity Women’s Investor Network Board of Directors.

Meet the Trustees

James P Gorman and Alisa Amarosa Wood via Columbia News