On Monday, November 3 at 8 p.m. at Fairfield University, Sanford "Sandy" I. Weill, who was instrumental in propelling Citigroup, Inc. into becoming the diversified global financial services company it is today, will be interviewed by his daughter, Jessica M. Bibliowicz, chairman, president and chief executive officer of National Financial Partners, as part of the Charles F. Dolan Lecture Series. It is anticipated to be a dynamic dialogue, entitled, 'Leadership, Markets and Globalization.' The annual event is hosted by Fairfield University's Charles F. Dolan School of Business, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Norm Solomon, Ph. D., dean of the Dolan School of Business, said, "In view of the upheaval we have seen on Wall Street and against a backdrop of historic changes in the financial industry, Mr. Weill's viewpoints will undoubtedly be of great interest. We are quite fortunate to have him and Ms. Bibliowicz at Fairfield, and the interview will certainly prove to be a class in American finance and the global economy that our students and the public won't soon forget."

The Dolan School of Business was named in 2000 in recognition of Charles and Helen Dolan's service and philanthropic contributions to Fairfield University. The Charles F. Dolan Lecture Series features distinguished speakers who are visionaries and internationally recognized business leaders. Weill and Bibliowicz join a long list of luminaries who have come to the Fairfield campus to take part in the series, including Peter Lynch, Karen Katen, Abby Joseph Cohen, Anne Mulcahy, Jeffrey Immelt, and Alan "Ace" Greenberg. The event will take place in the Quick Center for the Arts on the Fairfield campus. The lecture is complimentary. However, reservations are required and may be made by calling (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396.

Now chairman emeritus of Citigroup Inc., Weill retired as the bank's chief executive officer on October 1, 2003, and served as chairman until April 18, 2006. The Brooklyn, N.Y. born and bred philanthropist was central in Citigroup becoming the world's leading financial institution. "Somehow, no matter how successful I became, I never saw a stopping point," wrote Weill in his New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, "The Real Deal: My Life in Business and Philanthropy" (with Judah S. Kraushaar, Warner Business Books , 2006). "I was always able to take risks to get to the next level. With each accomplishment, I realized that people responded well to intelligent risk taking, and that spurred me on all the more."

In the 20 years before his retirement in 2003, he was chairman and chief executive officer of several major investment corporations, including Travelers, and was president of American Express Company. Prior to that, he co-founded a firm which, while he was chairman, eventually became Shearson Loeb Rhoades - then the country's second largest securities brokerage firm.

Weill was a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 2001 to 2006. He has also served on numerous boards, including United Technologies Corp., E.I. Du Pont Nemours and Company, and AT&T Corp. In addition to his professional affiliations, he serves as chairman of the boards of Carnegie Hall, the National Academy Foundation, and The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College and Graduate School of Medical Sciences of Cornell University. He is co-chair, along with his wife Joan, of the Board of the White Nights Foundation of America, which is committed to strengthen and expand the cultural, educational and business relationships between Russia and the United States.

Weill, a Cornell University graduate, has long been instrumental in numerous philanthropic projects, humanitarian efforts and educational programs. "Somewhere along the way, I realized that all my business-related accomplishments would feel hollow if I didn't find a way to contribute my time, energy, experience, and financial resources to help others. I am proud of my business-related achievements, yet I feel my life experience also can teach others valuable lessons in how to engage in philanthropy and work toward a better society," Weill wrote in "The Real Deal."

He and Joan have been married for 53 years. In addition to daughter Jessica, the Weills have a son and four grandchildren.

Prior to her work with National Financial Partners, a national network of independent financial advisors, Bibliowicz served as president of John A. Levin & Co.; executive vice president and head of Smith Barney Mutual Funds; and a director of The Asia Pacific Fund, Inc. She also serves on the boards of Directors of Riverdale Country School and John Jay College Foundation. She received an A.B. from Cornell University.

Charles F. Dolan is the founder and chairman of Cablevision Systems Corporation, one of the nation's leading telecommunications and entertainment companies. The Charles F. Dolan Lecture series, featuring highly accomplished, visionary and internationally recognized business leaders, was inaugurated in 2001.

Posted On: 10-01-2008 10:10 AM

Volume: 41 Number: 76