Lee Stephens currently leads BNY Mellon’s strategic business development efforts with U.S. public sector clients, including the Federal government and its, departments, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises. As a member of the U.S. Client Management leadership team, he is responsible for ensuring that business solutions from across the BNY Mellon enterprise are delivered to clients and prospects in the sector. 

He assumed his current responsibilities in June 2010 after returning from a posting in the BNY Mellon’s Hong Kong offices where he served as Chief Administrative Officer for the Asia Pacific Region since October 2008. There he oversaw the build-out of shared-services and infrastructure in the region, which is comprised of sixteen offices in twelve countries. His duties included coordinating the application of consistent policy and practice in the Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Corporate Communications, Risk Management & Compliance, Marketing and Legal disciplines serving the country offices and lines of business represented in the region.

Prior to October 2008, Lee managed the BNY Mellon’s Public Sector Banking practice, which included client management and public finance activities for U.S. – based tax exempt institutions. His executive duties included oversight of the sales, marketing, corporate finance and relationship management functions directed towards public funds, government agencies and other municipalities, endowments, foundations and nonprofit hospital/healthcare entities.  Prior to that role, Lee held successive senior managerial positions in the National Government Banking, Fund Managers, Mutual Funds and Securities Industries divisions of the Bank.

Lee has 39 years of commercial banking and securities industry experience.  He joined The Bank of New York in 1990. Before joining BNY Mellon, Lee served in senior official positions with Continental Illinois Bank and Chemical Bank, where his experiences included deployments in Taxable Fixed Income Securities Sales & Trading, as well as Corporate Banking.

Lee received his M.B.A. degree in Finance in 1997 from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College in 1981. Lee currently serves as the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins University, Center for Talented Youth.  He also serves as Chairman of the Africa Institutional Investors Advisory Council of the NASP – USAID Investment Partnership. Lee is a member of the national Board of Trustees for National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP), as well as the Board of the NASP New York Chapter.  Lee also serves on the Board (as Treasurer) of the Friends of Seamen’s Society for Children and Families on Staten Island, New York. He is a former board member of the Lower Eastside Service Center, Inc. (a nonprofit community service organization serving lower Manhattan) and The Seamen’s Society for Children and Families.