HWS News
7 September 2026 • Entrepreneurship Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan to Deliver 2026 Anderton Symposium
The Chair and CEO of Bank of America will share insights on leadership, the economy and the future of global business during Hobart and William Smith's annual Anderton Economic Policy Symposium.
One of the nation's most influential business leaders, Bank of America Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer Brian Moynihan will visit Hobart and William Smith in late September as the featured speaker for the 2026 Anderton Economic Policy Symposium.
The annual forum brings nationally and internationally recognized leaders to campus to engage students and the broader community in conversations about the critical issues shaping today’s society and the economy.
Moynihan leads one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving nearly 70 million consumer and business clients across more than 35 countries. Since becoming CEO in 2010 and Chair of the Board in 2014, he has guided the company through a period of sustained growth while advancing its commitment to responsible business practices, technological innovation and sustainable finance.
“Brian Moynihan brings an extraordinary depth of experience at the intersection of business, economics and public life, and we are delighted to welcome him to HWS,” says President Mark D. Gearan. “With gratitude to Jim Anderton, the Anderton Economic Policy Symposium reflects our commitment to giving students opportunities to engage directly with leaders who are shaping the world beyond campus. A conversation with Moynihan will challenge our students to think critically about the forces transforming the global economy and the responsibilities of leadership in a complex and rapidly changing world.”
During the Anderton Symposium, Moynihan will discuss leadership in a rapidly changing global economy, the future of financial services and the role businesses play in driving economic opportunity and addressing complex societal challenges.
“Each year, the Anderton Symposium gives our students an opportunity to move beyond the classroom and engage directly with some of the most influential thinkers and practitioners in economics and public policy,” says Professor of Economics Feisal Khan, who administers the Anderton Economics Symposium. “Brian Moynihan’s perspective is particularly timely. His leadership of one of the world’s largest financial institutions offers a unique vantage point on the changing global economy, the future of financial services and the opportunities and challenges created by technological and economic change.”
Moynihan participates in several organizations that focus on economic and market trends, including the Business Roundtable, the Financial Services Forum, the Bank Policy Institute, The Clearing House Association (chair), the American Heart Association CEO Roundtable (co-chair), the Catalyst Board of Directors, the Business Council, and the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council. He also is chair of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, which was founded by His Majesty King Charles III, then The Prince of Wales, in 2020.
Moynihan serves as a member of the advisory council for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Appeal of Conscience Board of Trustees. He also works with public officials, businesses and civic leaders at the local level through his participation on the Charlotte Executive Leadership Council, the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership and the Partnership for Rhode Island.
In addition, Moynihan is the chancellor of the Corporation of Brown University, a volunteer role that leads the 54-member Brown Corporation. Prior to that, he was a member of the Brown University Corporation's Board of Fellows for eight years after having served on the Board of Trustees from 2010 to 2016.
The Anderton Economic Symposium was established in 2022 by former Trustee James F. Anderton IV ’65 to invite students and the broader HWS community to engage with diverse perspectives on timely and complex economic issues.
Recent speakers have included Narayana Kocherlakota, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and voting member of the interest rate setting Federal Open Market Committee; Kartik B. Athreya, head of the Research and Statistics Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Prof. Anat R. Admati, of the Stanford Business School and a leading voice for financial regulation and banking stability reform. These events foster a dynamic campus dialogue, offering the HWS community direct access to the ideas and expertise shaping economic research, monetary policy and financial systems.
Anderton, who served on the Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2000, is the founder and executive chairman of property management and real estate investment and development company Krimson. He holds a Ph.D. from Michigan State University and an M.B.A. from Cornell University, as well as his B.A. in economics from Hobart. A longtime supporter of HWS, Anderton was awarded the Hobart Medal of Excellence, the Hobart Alumni Association’s highest honor, in 1997. In 2015, he received the Lifetime Service Award, presented to alumni who have made exceptional contributions to Hobart College throughout their lives. In addition to the Economic Policy Symposium, Anderton also created the Anderton Forum for Global Engagement, which brings leading diplomats, scholars and policy experts to campus for in-depth conversations on the forces shaping international affairs.
For details on this event, please contact Cathy Williams, Vice President for External Relations, at cwilliams@hws.edu or 315-781-3696.
