Lives of Consequence
Margarita Ramos '85
Global Head of Human Resource Compliance for Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Margarita Ramos ’85 has spent nearly 30 years as a labor and employment lawyer, both in the public and private sectors. She is currently Global Head of Human Resource Compliance for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, based in New York City.
After earning her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo, Ramos began her career in law with the National Labor Relations Board, which is responsible for protecting workers’ rights and enforcing labor laws by addressing unfair employment practices. She then moved into the private sector, focusing on employment law. After working at a small law firm, she became director of labor relations at the Metropolitan Hospital Center, a New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation facility in Spanish Harlem, where she grew up. She later joined Merrill Lynch’s employment law group, where as part of a small team of employment lawyers, she traveled throughout the U.S. and sometimes internationally, mediating and investigating employee complaints. She has since held senior human resources roles at JP Morgan Chase and Smith Barney.
Now at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Ramos manages a global team responsible for maintaining an inventory of HR laws and regulations, executing, monitoring and testing, and conducting HR risk assessments; she partners closely with audit, legal and HR leaders to assess HR risks and controls.
As a student at HWS, Ramos majored in sociology and education, was a member of Hai Timiai and Koshare, and served as president of the Latin American Organization. Since graduating, she has delivered the keynote address at William Smith Founder’s Day and volunteered for the Office of Admissions and the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education, including participating in the 2016 Multicultural Career and Networking Conference. A former Hobart and William Smith Trustee, Ramos currently serves as a member of the William Smith Alumnae Council.