• Board Chair
• Board Chair Members

Debra Baker recently retired from financial services after more than 34 years in the business.  She is the current chairperson for the YWCA City of New York in New York , NY.

While at BNY Mellon, Debra was the business executive for the Global Risk Solutions Asset Servicing Group.  Her group consisted of providing decision-oriented risk products and services to major financial institutions, corporations, insurance companies, endowment & foundations, Taft Hartley, not-for- profit, and government agencies.   Her team focused on consultative client service, product and strategy, service delivery, and technology for clients requiring these services.  Prior to this role, Debra was the head of the US Financial Institutions group in BNY Mellon’s Corporate Trust business.  Her group consisted of relationship management, new business development, and relationship associates. 

While in Corporate Trust, Debra also was head of the CDO/CLO group, after originally joining Corporate Trust as Chief Administrative Officer.  She also managed the Performance & Risk Analytics Global Product Management team for BNY Mellon’s Asset Servicing business in prior years.

Debra has more than 30 years’ experience in product and strategy, performance analytics, project planning and management.  She joined BNY Mellon in April 1996 as part of an acquisition of J.P. Morgan’s custody business.  At JP Morgan, Debra was with the Master Custody Product division where she managed the Performance Measurement and Accounting Teams.  Prior to JP Morgan, she was with Bankers Trust Company for eight years where she managed the Performance Measurement Group and later managed two of the Daily Valuation Fund Groups.  Debra began her career at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets where she attained a Supervisory Financial Analyst role.   

Debra graduated Magna Cum Laude from Niagara University in New York, with a B.S. in Economics.  She is the current Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the YWCA of the City of New York and is a former board member for The Women’s Bond Club (WBC) in NYC. Debra has been an active participant in industry recognized programs.  She was also a founding member and executive steering committee member for BNY Mellon’s Women’s Initiatives Network (WIN) and was also on the BNY Mellon Diversity & Inclusion Operating Committee.  She has been quoted in several industry related publications relating to global risk services and was recognized in the Global Custodian “rising star” publication in 2005. In 2011, Debra completed Harvard’s Best Practices for Leadership seminar. In 2016, Debra was named one of the “Top 25 Black Women in Business” by the Network Journal.