NYC Mayor-Elect Eric Adams Taps New ‘Corporate Council’ for Advice
NYC Mayor-Elect Eric Adams Taps New ‘Corporate Council’ for Advice
(Bloomberg) -- New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams is looking to reset the city’s relationship with its business leaders.
On Monday, Adams met with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer David Solomon, Pfizer Inc. CEO Albert Bourla and more than 60 other finance, technology, real estate and media executives as part of a new “Corporate Council” formed to give business leaders a direct line to City Hall in the early days of his administration, according to Adams’s transition team.
Adams is set to announce the committee on Monday. The effort is led by former Infor CEO Charles Phillips and Goldman’s outgoing Chief Financial Officer Stephen Scherr, who is part of his transition team and could take a role in the administration when Adams becomes mayor on Jan. 1.
Other members of the corporate council include Revlon Inc. CEO Debra Perelman, Related Companies CEO Jeff Blau, Vimeo Inc. CEO Anjali Sud, former Alphabet Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, ViacomCBS Inc. CEO Bob Bakish, JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive chair of investment and corporate banking Carlos Hernandez, Kathryn Wylde, the President and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, a business group, former American Express Co. CEO Ken Chenault, Nasdaq Inc. CEO Adena Friedman and Union Square Ventures co-founder Fred Wilson.
The move marks a vast departure from Adams’s predecessor, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who often rejected wealthy residents and corporate executives during his tenure. Adams has made it a point of both his campaign and now transition to attempt to reopen that line of communication, vowing to transform the city into “a place where we welcome business and not turn into the dysfunctional city that we have been for so many years.”
The corporate leaders met for the first time on Monday over Zoom to discuss the priorities of the incoming administration. They will meet regularly through the first 100 days of his administration to discuss initiatives that the city can partner with businesses on, including creating a digital employment platform, job training network and public safety improvements, according to the transition team.
“I’m humbled by the response from our Corporate Council to lean in, roll up their sleeves, and help accelerate our recovery,” Adams said in a statement. “From partnering on priorities such as workforce development, childcare, and revitalization of our commercial districts, the business community has made it clear they are with me and all New Yorkers every step of the way.”
Adams has raised $1.2 million for his transition and inauguration so far, money that will be used for operations as the mayor-elect pulls together a staff and irons out policy priorities ahead of taking office next month.
Although Adams has named hundreds of advisers, he has only publicly announced one formal pick. He named David Banks his schools chancellor last week, but hasn’t announced picks to run big swaths of city administration including the health department and police force.
In addition to the formal transition process, the Robin Hood Foundation, Mike Novogratz’s Galaxy Gives and other philanthropic groups are funding a separate $2 million public advocacy effort called NYC Speaks that looks to give New Yorkers a say in the transition process.
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