James Li

BS’68 MS’70, P: EN’06; Chair Emeritus; Managing Director and COO of Global Bank Group, Goldman Sachs & Company


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James Li

James M. Li was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs & Company. He led the operations bank holding company initiatives, as well as oversaw project management and business planning for derivative operations globally. Previously, he was COO of the Global Banking Group.

After starting his career in financial services at Citibank, Mr. Li joined American Express in 1979 as Vice President-Staff Operations. He went on to serve as President of Asia, Pacific, and Australia, and President of Global Network Services, among other leadership positions. He retired from American Express in 2003 as an Executive Vice President.

Mr. Li was Chairman of the Public Education Association of New York City, Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of New York, and Chairman of the Middle East Mediterranean Travel and Tourism Association (MEMTTA). He served on the boards of the US-China Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement International, and the Johns Hopkins University-Center for Talented Youth. He was a fellow of the Foreign Policy Association and a member of the Young President’s Organization. He is currently a member of the Committee of 100, the prominent Chinese-American organization, and on the advisory board of Clear Serve.

As a Columbia alumnus, Mr. Li has been a board member of the Columbia Engineering School Alumni Association, long-time chair of the Engineering Annual Fund, and chair of the SEAS Board of Visitors (formerly the Engineering Council), where he is now Chairman Emeritus. Additionally, he is currently Co-Vice Chair of The Columbia Campaign for Engineering and a member of the Columbia Engineering Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.

Mr. Li holds a BS, MS, and Professional Degree in Industrial Engineering from Columbia Engineering and is a recipient of the Columbia University Distinguished Alumni Medal.