Stephen A. Oxman, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Princeton University and currently a Senior Advisor to Morgan Stanley, has been elected to the board of Carnegie Corporation of New York, the grantmaking foundation established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911.
The announcement was made by former New Jersey Governor and past President of Drew University, Thomas H. Kean, and Vartan Gregorian, respectively Chairman of the Board and President of Carnegie Corporation of New York.
“We are deeply honored that Steve Oxman has agreed to serve on our Board of Trustees," said Gregorian. "His experience in the field of diplomacy as Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs; in business as a Senior Partner in Wolfensohn & Co. and a founding Senior Managing Director of BT Wolfensohn; and in legal affairs as a Litigation Partner in the law firm of Shearman & Sterling—to name just a few of his outstanding accomplishments—brings to our Board a depth of knowledge, skill, integrity, and judgment that will undoubtedly make a great contribution to advancing the Corporation’s work in education, international affairs, and strengthening our nation’s democracy.”
Commenting on Mr. Oxman’s appointment, Governor Kean said, "I am honored to have worked with Steve in the past and look forward to doing so once again. He has a deep respect for, and significant experience with the two issues that Mr. Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace and the advancement of education and knowledge.”
Mr. Oxman’s resume reflects a stellar career and many notable achievements. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 1999, Mr. Oxman was a Senior Partner in Wolfensohn & Co., a private investment banking firm founded by James D. Wolfensohn in 1981. Mr. Oxman headed the firm’s telecommunications group and took a leading role in its European practice. Upon Bankers Trust’s acquisition of Wolfensohn & Co. in 1996, Mr. Oxman became a founding Senior Managing Director of BT Wolfensohn, the worldwide mergers, acquisitions, and corporate advisory arm of Bankers Trust.
In 1993, Mr. Oxman was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs by President Clinton and served in that capacity in 1993-1994. He was the principal advisor to the Secretary of State on U.S. foreign policy concerning Europe and Canada and had the lead responsibility within the U.S. Government for the day-to-day implementation of that policy. His responsibilities covered 38 countries as well as NATO and the European Union.
From 1988 to 1993, Mr. Oxman was a Managing Director of the investment banking firm of Wasserstein Perella & Co. and Deputy Chairman of Wasserstein Perella International. He was head of the firm’s telecommunications group and was one of the senior officers responsible for the firm’s work in Europe.
From 1980 to 1988, Mr. Oxman was a Litigation Partner in the law firm of Shearman & Sterling specializing in matters involving mergers and acquisitions, securities, antitrust, tax, and trade. He represented many leading U.S. and foreign corporations and foreign government-owned entities and was counsel to the investment bankers on a variety of major mergers and acquisitions.
During the Carter Administration, Mr. Oxman was Executive Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State, and subsequently a consultant to the Secretary of State concerning the Iran hostage crisis. From 1973 to 1977, he was an associate with the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Princeton University, a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School, where he was an Editor of the Yale Law Journal, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.
He is Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of Princeton University of which he is a Charter Trustee. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Association for the International Commission of Jurists and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He previously served on the Advisory Council of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton, and the Board of Directors of Good Shepherd Services.
Mr. Oxman and his wife, Patricia, have three sons (Stephen, Gavin and Matthew), two daughters-in-law (Sarah and Megan), and two grandchildren. They live in Short Hills, New Jersey.