CLINTON, N.Y. — David Solomon — chairman and CEO of investment-banking firm Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) — has been unanimously elected to serve as chair of the Hamilton College board of trustees, effective July 1.
Solomon succeeds Stephen Sadove, former chairman and CEO of Saks Inc., who was elected a life trustee and chairman emeritus. Sadove earned his Hamilton degree in 1973.
“David Solomon is a gifted leader and strategic thinker who understands the foundational role a liberal arts education can play in preparing students for lives of meaning and purpose,” David Wippman, president of Hamilton College, said in a release. “He is committed to keeping a Hamilton education affordable, and he is eager to build on Hamilton’s growing national and international reputation. I look forward to working even more closely with him as we seek to provide students with the finest liberal arts education in the country.”
Solomon graduated from Hamilton College in 1984. He currently serves on the board as a charter trustee and as co-chair of the college’s “Because Hamilton” capital campaign, an effort to raise $400 million by June 30, 2023. Donors have committed more than $320 million so far, the majority for student scholarship aid, the school said.
“Hamilton is a special place which had an enormous impact on my life and career,” Solomon said. “Every day I rely on the critical-thinking and communications skills I developed there. I’m honored to serve as board chair and look forward to making Hamilton even stronger for its students, faculty, administration, and alums.”
Solomon first joined the Hamilton board of trustees in 1996. In addition to serving as the co-chair of the current campaign, with fellow trustee Jeff Little, he has chaired the student affairs and nominations committees, and been a member of the investment and executive committees. He has also engaged and mentored many young alumni and served as a volunteer for the Career Center.
Before assuming his current position at Goldman Sachs, Solomon served as president and COO of the firm and earlier as co-head of the investment-banking division. He is the parent of a 2016 Hamilton College graduate, the school said.