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January 5, 2010                                         Erica Hurtt – (202) 457-8783 (w)

FORUM NAMES BNY MELLON'S BOB KELLY AS CHAIRMAN

WASHINGTON, DC – The Financial Services Forum, a non-partisan economic policy organization comprised of the CEOs of 18 of the largest financial services firms with business operations in the United States, today named BNY Mellon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert P. “Bob” Kelly as the Forum’s new Chairman.  Kelly also serves as Chairman of the Forum’s Regulatory Reform and Modernization Task Force.

 “I’m honored to serve as the Forum’s chairman at this critical time for our industry and the global economy,” Kelly said.  “As Congress considers much-needed reform of our financial supervisory framework and initiatives to create jobs, our insights into the inner workings of the markets will help ensure meaningful improvements. The Forum is committed to help close the gaps that contributed to the financial crisis while ensuring that markets remain open and U.S. financial companies remain competitive with global providers.”

“Bob Kelly’s extensive experience in the financial services industry and leadership on public policy issues have earned him the respect of his peers,” Forum President and COO Rob Nichols said. “Bob has a deep understanding of the regulatory challenges facing our industry and a desire to positively contribute to financial regulatory reform and modernization efforts. He is an outstanding choice to lead the Forum’s executive membership.”

The Forum was founded in 2000 and has been called “perhaps the country’s most powerful trade association” by Time. The Forum’s mission is to educate the public about the importance of robust capital markets; encourage a competitive global marketplace; and shape the national and international regulatory dialogue.  As a group, the Forum's member institutions employ more than 2 million people in 175 countries and hold combined assets of more than $20.39 trillion - an amount greater than the annual economic output of the United States, Germany, and China combined. 

Kelly succeeds Rob Henrikson, Chairman, CEO, and President of MetLife, Inc. who served a two-year term as the Forum’s Chairman beginning in 2008.

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