Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs has named Ronald P. O’Hanley chairman of its advisory board. O’Hanley is chief executive officer of State Street Global Advisors, the investment management arm of State Street Corporation and a global leader in asset management.  

Before joining State Street, O’Hanley was president of Asset Management & Corporate Services for Fidelity Investments from 2010-2014.  From 1997-2010, he served as president and chief executive officer of BNY Mellon Asset Management in Boston and vice chairman of Bank of New York Mellon, as vice chairman of Mellon Financial Corporation, and as president and CEO of Mellon Asset Management.  From 1986 to 1997, O’Hanley was with McKinsey & Company, Inc., becoming a partner in 1992.  

O’Hanley serves on the boards of directors of UNUM Corp. and Rhode Island Commerce Corp. O'Hanley has served as a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh School of Management, and as chairman of the Boston Public Library Foundation Board of Directors. He currently serves on the boards of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the East/ West Institute, The Boston Foundation, the Committee for Economic Development, WBUR, and the Institute of Contemporary Art. He also advises a number of technology and financial services start-ups.

O’Hanley, a long-time supporter of the Maxwell School, received a BA in political science from Syracuse University in 1980 and an MBA from Harvard University in 1986. He has served as a member of Maxwell’s advisory board since 2004.  In 2013, he and his family established the O’Hanley Faculty Endowed Fund for Faculty Excellence at Maxwell, which helps recognize, reward, and retain excellent teachers at the School. Currently, there are four O’Hanley Scholars representing the disciplines of political science, sociology, history, and geography. In addition, the O’Hanleys have funded one Fellow in the Robertson Fellows Program for the 2014-16 academic course of study.

O’Hanley noted, “The Maxwell School’s tradition of extraordinary research and teaching, with a combination of scholarly social science programs, professional degree programs, interdisciplinary research centers and extensive undergraduate opportunities, is unique among schools of public affairs. I am honored to be appointed chair of the advisory board—a group of highly distinguished professionals and dedicated volunteers.” 

Dean of the Maxwell School James Steinberg noted, “We are delighted to have Ron leading the Maxwell Advisory Board.  As an alumnus of Maxwell, Ron has been a strong leader and generous donor for nearly two decades.  Ron’s exceptional professional experience, his broad interests and expertise and his family’s deep ties to Maxwell and to Syracuse University will serve our School, our faculty and our students well.”

O’Hanley succeeds previous Maxwell advisory board chairman Sean O’Keefe, former chancellor of Louisiana State University and administrator of NASA who last fall was named University Professor at Syracuse and holds the Howard G. and S. Louise Phanstiel Chair in Strategic Management and Leadership at Maxwell. O’Keefe also serves as distinguished senior advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

The Maxwell School’s advisory board provides counsel to the dean on broad matters of policy and planning within the School and guidance on the direction of the School in such areas as fundraising, public relations, admissions and student recruiting, alumni relations, and communications.  Its members represent a wide range of experience and expertise, which they bring to bear to enrich Maxwell’s programmatic activities.