Bill Rhodes

Biography

Bill Rhodes is a Senior Advisor for Citi. In his most recent role, Mr. Rhodes was the Senior International Officer for Citi. He had specific responsibilities for client relationships worldwide, as well as for relationships with governments and other official institutions. Mr. Rhodes gained a reputation for international financial diplomacy in the 1980s as a result of his leadership in helping manage the external-debt crisis that involved developing nations and their creditors worldwide. During that period and in the 1990s, he headed the advisory committees of international banks that negotiated debt-restructuring agreements for Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. In 1998, when the Republic of Korea experienced liquidity problems, he chaired the international bank group that negotiated the extension of short-term debt of the Korean banking system. In early 1999, at the request of the government of Brazil, he acted as worldwide coordinator to help implement the maintenance of trade and inter-bank lines by foreign commercial banks to Brazil. Mr. Rhodes is a Director of the Private Export Funding Corporation; First Vice Chairman of the Institute of International Finance; Chairman Emeritus of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas; Chairman of the U.S.-Korea Business Council; a Director of the U.S.-Russia Business Council; a Director of the U.S.-Hong Kong Business Council; a Director of the Korea Society; Vice Chairman of the National Committee on U.S. - China Relations; a Director of the U.S.- China Business Council; a member of Korean President Lee's Council of Global Advisors; a Senior Advisor to the Dalian Government in China; a member of the Inter-American Development Bank's Private Sector Advisory Board; a member of the International Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Board at the Foreign Policy Association; Trustee of the Asia Society and a Trustee of the Economic Club of New York. He is also a member of the US-Brazil CEO Forum, a member of the Advisory Council of the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce, the Council on Foreign Relations, and The Group of Thirty. He also previously served as Chairman of the New York Blood Center and the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade. Mr. Rhodes is a Governor and Trustee of The New York-Presbyterian Hospital; a member of the Lincoln Center Consolidated Corporate Fund Leadership Committee; and a member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Business Committee and Chairman's Committee. He is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Northfield Mount Hermon School. He has received decorations and honors from various governments and institutions, including an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from his alma mater Brown University, Chevalier and Officer of France's Legion of Honor, decorations from Poland, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Jamaica, and multiple awards from not-for-profit organizations such as the Africa-America Institute and the Arab Bankers Association of North America in recognition of his contributions to international banking and finance. Mr. Rhodes joined Citibank in 1957 after graduating from Brown University. Bill Rhodes is a Senior Advisor for Citi. In his most recent role, Mr. Rhodes was the Senior International Officer for Citi. He had specific responsibilities for client relationships worldwide, as well as for relationships with governments and other official institutions. Mr. Rhodes gained a reputation for international financial diplomacy in the 1980s as a result of his leadership in helping manage the external-debt crisis that involved developing nations and their creditors worldwide. During that period and in the 1990s, he headed the advisory committees of international banks that negotiated debt-restructuring agreements for Argentina, Brazil, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. In 1998, when the Republic of Korea experienced liquidity problems, he chaired the international bank group that negotiated the extension of short-term debt of the Korean banking system. In early 1999, at the request of the government of Brazil, he acted as worldwide coordinator to help implement the maintenance of trade and inter-bank lines by foreign commercial banks to Brazil. Mr. Rhodes is a Director of the Private Export Funding Corporation; First Vice Chairman of the Institute of International Finance; Chairman Emeritus of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas; Chairman of the U.S.-Korea Business Council; a Director of the U.S.-Russia Business Council; a Director of the U.S.-Hong Kong Business Council; a Director of the Korea Society; Vice Chairman of the National Committee on U.S. - China Relations; a Director of the U.S.- China Business Council; a member of Korean President Lee's Council of Global Advisors; a Senior Advisor to the Dalian Government in China; a member of the Inter-American Development Bank's Private Sector Advisory Board; a member of the International Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Board at the Foreign Policy Association; Trustee of the Asia Society and a Trustee of the Economic Club of New York. He is also a member of the US-Brazil CEO Forum, a member of the Advisory Council of the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce, the Council on Foreign Relations, and The Group of Thirty. He also previously served as Chairman of the New York Blood Center and the Bankers Association for Finance and Trade. Mr. Rhodes is a Governor and Trustee of The New York-Presbyterian Hospital; a member of the Lincoln Center Consolidated Corporate Fund Leadership Committee; and a member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Business Committee and Chairman's Committee. He is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Northfield Mount Hermon School. He has received decorations and honors from various governments and institutions, including an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from his alma mater Brown University, Chevalier and Officer of France's Legion of Honor, decorations from Poland, Korea, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama and Jamaica, and multiple awards from not-for-profit organizations such as the Africa-America Institute and the Arab Bankers Association of North America in recognition of his contributions to international banking and finance. Mr. Rhodes joined Citibank in 1957 after graduating from Brown University.

Research Interest

Business