Former New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr. joined municipal underwriting firm Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., the company announced today.
Thompson will be the firm’s chief administrative officer and a senior managing director. His main responsibilities will be developing and implementing policies related to Siebert’s strategic development.
“I am proud to join a firm that has witnessed such considerable growth in recent years,” Thompson said in a press release. “Given the current fiscal distress faced by most large cities and states across our country, my experience will prove invaluable as our firm identifies strategies to assist these municipalities.”
Siebert was the largest minority-owned underwriter in each year of the last decade, and in the first quarter of 2010 broke into the ranks of the top 10 as the eighth largest senior manager in the country, according to Thomson Reuters. The firm also ranked second for New York issues in the quarter.
Prior to his two terms as New York City comptroller beginning in 2002, Thompson was a senior vice president at underwriter George K. Baum & Co. working on regional municipal deals in the 1990s. He also ran unsuccessfully for mayor of New York last year.
In addition, previously he was a member and five-term president of the New York City Board of Education.
“Bill Thompson brings to the table an accomplished record of service to New York and a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors,” said Suzanne Shank, president and chief executive officer.
“Siebert Brandford Shank has experienced record growth in recent years through targeted hires,” she added. “We felt we needed someone of Bill’s stature and experience to continue our growth and help secure our firm’s desired top-10 standing.”
