AFRO Board Member, Blair Carl Smith, will become the senior director for the Milken Institute’s Center for Financial Markets. (Courtesy Photo)

By AFRO Staff

The Milken Institute announced, August 13, that Blair Carl Smith, an experienced leader in financial services and capital markets, will join the Center for Financial Markets as a senior director.

Smith has spent decades working to enhance economic inclusion and positive social impact through strategic financing. He has held various roles in banking for more than 15 years, particularly in the area of wealth management. Smith was the founder and CEO of Promethean AB Strategies, a strategic consultancy created to help asset management firms of all sizes and stages to succeed. He also served as the chief investment officer for the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, a CDFI.

“Blair is a proven expert in the world of financial services and capital markets,” said Michael Piwowar, executive director of the Milken Institute Center for Financial Markets. “Our entire team is excited to have him lead our strategic initiatives in innovative finance and bolster our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Asset Management efforts.”

“I have always credited my family, the Murphy Family,” Smith said, “for inspiration, guidance and any opportunities I’ve achieved.”

Smith received his MBA in finance from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree in journalism from Morgan State University. He is a Real Estate Executive Council member and a 2019 Council of Urban Professionals (CUP) Finance Catalyst recipient. Smith is an adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Business. Additionally, he serves on the Board of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, the AFRO-American Newspapers, and Afro Charities.

As senior director of the Center for Financial Markets, Smith will lead the Milken Institute’s work across areas of Impact Investment, Access to Capital, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Asset Management.

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