James Hennessy has led the New York Fed’s Governance and Culture Reform Initiative since 2014.
Mr. Hennessy joined the Bank in 1992 as an attorney in the Legal Group, where he oversaw issues related to international accounts and sanctions regimes. He was the corporate secretary and chief of staff for two of the Bank’s presidents from 1998-2005. During the 2008 Financial Crisis, he managed the New York Fed’s legal team advising on the rescue and restructuring of AIG. He joined the Bank Supervision Group in 2011 and served as its Interim Head in 2021.
Mr. Hennessy holds a B.A. degree in Philosophy from St. John’s College, an MPhil in Anglo-Irish Literature from Trinity College, an M.S. from Columbia University School of Urban Planning, and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. He also holds an Executive Master in Change degree from INSEAD’s program on organizational culture and change management.
Mr. Hennessy is a co-author of the book Hidden Challenges – Human Dynamics in Organizational Change and Recovery (Business Expert Press, 2022), which studies the multiple realities and intersecting social systems in organizations.
